Exploring the difference of bonding strength between silver(i) and chalcogenides in block copolymer systems

Silver(i)-chalcogenide interactions have been widely found in the mineral paragenesis and are of great significance in medicinal systems. An accurate understanding of the intrinsic nature of these interactions would provide the basis for comprehending the involved natural and biological behaviors. However, few systematic works exploring the relative strength of silver(i)-chalcogenide bonds had been reported before. Thus, by combining single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) from a kinetic point of view with quantum chemical studies from a thermodynamic point of view, we successfully quantified the relative strength of Ag(i)-X (X = S, Se, and Te from a chalcogenide-containing A-B-A block copolymer) interactions. Both results suggested that the order of Ag(i)-X bond strength is Ag(i)-S < Ag(i)-Se < Ag(i)-Te. These findings revealed the relative strength and nature of silver(i)-chalcogenide interactions and laid the foundation for various potential applications in supramolecular chemistry, electronics and many other fields.