Although discrete nano-sized compounds consisting of a monolayer sheet of multiple atoms have attracted much attention, monolayer transition metal nanosheets are difficult to access. Here we report a template synthesis of the folding metal nanosheet (2) consisting of 11 palladium atoms by treatment of a ladder polysilane, decaisopropylbicyclo[2.2.0]hexasilane (1), with Pd(CN t Bu) 2 . Crystallographic analysis reveals that the compound is composed of two monolayer Pd 7 sheets sharing three

more »

... dium atoms at the junction. Each Pd atom is stabilized by Pd-Si s-bonds, Pd-Pd bonds and coordination of isocyanides. Ligand exchange of 2 from CN t Bu to CN(2,4,6-Me 3 -C 6 H 2 ) is accompanied by structural rearrangement, leading to the formation of another folding Pd 11 nanosheet (3) consisting of two edge-sharing Pd 7 sheets. The shapes of the Pd 7 sheets as well as the dihedral angle between the two Pd 7 sheets are dependent on the substituent of the isocyanide ligand.