Bridging between silver clusters and polyoxoanion clusters, the first 1D assembly, [Ag₃₄(S^tBu)₂₆(W₆O₂₁)(CF₃COO)](CF₃COO)·Et₃N·20CH₃OH (1), based on POM-templated silver-thiolate nanoclusters featuring a [Ag₃₄(S^tBu)₂₆(CF₃COO)]⁷⁺ shell and a [W₆O₂₁]⁶⁻ core is reported. This novel core–shell nanocluster possesses nanoscopic morphology, displays intense deep-blue emission in solution under ambient conditions and also shows special electrochemical properties.

Highest nuclearity M₄₈ (M = Co^II or Ni^II) cage clusters have been constructed by [12+18] condensation of twelve M4-p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene second building units (as vertices) and eighteen asymmetric 5-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)isophthalate ligands (as faces), showing a merohedral icosahedron-type framework.

The first example of 1D self-assembly of carbonate-templated sandwich-like macrocycle-based Ag₂₀S₁₀ nanoclusters, {[(CO₃ ²⁻)@Ag₂₀(S^tBu)₁₀(CH₃COO)₈(DMF)₂]·2H₂O}_n (1), is reported. Compound 1 is stable both in the solid state and in solution. It exhibits potential wide gap semiconductor properties, reversible thermochromic luminescence behaviour and excellent electrochemical properties.

Fabricating Co ₄ -thiacalix[4]arene capped Mo ₈ oxothiomolybdate bimetallic Co4Mo8 nanoclusters on nickel foam serves as efficient binder-free oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst with Co–Mo synergistic effect.

The first macrocycle-based high-nuclearity nanocluster [Ag₂₀(S^tBu)₁₀(CF₃COO)₂]⁸⁺ in complex 1, with a sandwich-like structure constructed by bilevel inversion Ag₅S₅ pentagrams and an interlayer Ag₁₀ ring, has been obtained. Structure analysis indicates that Cl⁻ acts as an anion template to direct the formation of 1. In addition, the photoluminescent property of complex 1 is also investigated.

A high-nuclearity Cd24 cluster built from Cd ₄ -thiacalix[4]arene SBUs and in situ generated peroxyphosphate PO ₅ ³⁻ exhibited significant photocatalytic water splitting activity in absence of a co-catalyst.