Photocurrent, electrochemical characteristic and photodegradation of two Ag₂₀ cage isomers co-constructed by thiol and carboxylate/sulfonate and induced by CO ₃ ^2– template

Assembly of AgS^tBu and PhCOOH ligands with the assistance of soluble silver salt CH₃COOAg/CF₃SO₃Ag in methanol, N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dichloromethane solution, yielded two Ag₂₀ cage isomers co-constructed by thiol and carboxylate/sulfonate ligands encapsulating a CO ₃ ^2– anion template, [(CO ₃ ^2– )@Ag₂₀(S^tBu)₁₀(PhCOO)₄(CH₃COO)₄(DMF)₄] (1) and [(CO ₃ ^2– )@Ag₂₀(S^tBu)₁₀(PhCOO)₆(CF₃SO₃)₂(DMF)₄]·2DMF (2). The CO ₃ ^2– anion template was generated in situ by fixing atmospheric CO₂. The precise structures of 1 and 2 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry (SCXRD). The thermal stability of compounds 1 and 2 was proved by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and their solution stability was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (¹H NMR). The absorption spectra, photocurrent responses, and luminescence of compounds 1 and 2 were investigated. In addition, the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and cyclic voltammetry characteristic curves of 1 and 2 were also studied.