Interface Engineering of Copper Nanocluster Assemblies with White-Light Emission

Construction of white-light emitters is of great importance in practical applications but is challenging for metal nanoclusters. Herein, arginine (Arg)-mediated copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) assemblies with white-light emission (WLE) are reported for the first time. The multidentate ligand, Arg, not only effectively tailors the high stability and locally-excited emission (LES) of aqueous phase Cu NCs, but also bridges 1-naphthalenol methylcarbamate (NMC) to generate a blue emitter via through-space interactions (TSIs), resulting in a stable mixed light. Density functional theory calculation and mass spectrum further confirm that Arg can allow for the formation of strong hydrogen-bonds with the ligand 2,4-diaminotoluene of Cu NCs, and formation of TSIs-based complexes with NMC. More importantly, pure white-light emission (WLE) with Commission Internationale de L’Eclairagecoordination (0.30, 0.31) is observed by regulating the ratio between Arg and the interfacial ligand of NMC. The findings not only provide a new perspective for the construction of WLE emitters via interface modification chemistry but also open a window to gain insight into the mechanism of interface engineering.