Gas Phase Reactions of Pristine and Single-Atom-Doped Copper and Silver Clusters: Probing Size-Dependent Stability and Novel Superatoms

Gas phase reactions have been a subject of research interest, enabling reliable strategies to explore the stability and reactivity of metal clusters as well as to probe novel superatoms that form the building blocks to assemble new materials with tailored properties. Coinage metal clusters have attracted great research attention due to their simple electronic shell structures and rich photochemical and catalytic properties at relatively low cost. This perspective focuses on the recent progress made in studying the gas phase reactions of undamaged and single-atom-doped Cu_n^±,0 and Ag_n^±,0 clusters with O₂, CO, and NO molecules. It covers various aspects, such as reaction mechanisms, relationships between structure and activity, control of reactivity by changing cluster size and composition, and the identification of novel superatoms (Cu₁₈^–, Ag₁₃^–, Ag₁₇^–, and Ag₁₅O⁺). Lastly, we provide a detailed account of the obstacles and prospective avenues for future research in order to establish a connection between these findings and nanocluster systems that have practical applications.