X-ray Crystallographic Visualization of a Nucleation and Anisotropic Growth in Thiolate-Protected Gold Clusters: Toward Targeted Synthesis of Gold Quantum Needles.

ABSTRACT: Understanding and controlling the nucleation and growth processes of gold clusters are crucial for advancing the nucleation theory and targeted cluster synthesis. While in situ mass spectrometry has revealed the intermediate species formed during the growth process, the overall structural evolution remains unclear due to a lack of crystallographic information. In this study, we examined a new synthetic method for thiolate-protected gold clusters in their embryonic stage. In this method, only partial Au(I) precursors are reduced by a minimal amount of mild reductant in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of thiol. Under optimized conditions, we obtained a series of small gold clusters, including Au₁₅(SCTMS)₁₃, Au₁₈(SCTMS)₁₄, Au₂

SUBMITTER: Takano S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12447497 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature