Discrete Silver(I)‐Palladium(II)‐Oxo Nanoclusters, {Ag4Pd13} and {Ag5Pd15}, and the Role of Metal–Metal Bonding Induced by Cation Confinement

We introduce the class of discrete silver(I)-palladium(II)-oxo nanoclusters with the preparation of {Ag4Pd13} and {Ag5Pd15}. Both polyanions represent the first examples of noble metal-capped polyoxo-noble-metalates in a fully inorganic assembly, featuring an unprecedented host–guest mode containing hetero- and homometallic Ag–Pd and Ag–Ag bonding interactions. Comprehensive theoretical calculations suggest that the Ag–Pd metallic bonds originate partially from surface confinement of AgI guest ions onto the anionic polyoxopalladate host that is induced by strong electrostatic forces. This work opens the field of fully inorganic silver-palladium-oxo nanoclusters, which can be considered as discrete mixed noble metal precursors for the formation of monodisperse core–shell nanoparticles, with high relevance for catalysis.