Revealing the etching process of water-soluble Au₂₅ nanoclusters at the molecular level.

ABSTRACT: Etching (often considered as decomposition) is one of the key considerations in the synthesis, storage, and application of metal nanoparticles. However, the underlying chemistry of their etching process still remains elusive. Here, we use real-time electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to study the reaction dynamics and size/structure evolution of all the stable intermediates during the etching of water-soluble thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters (Au NCs), which reveal an unusual "recombination" process in the oxidative reaction environment after the initial decomposition process. Interestingly, the sizes of NC species grow larger and their ligand-to-metal ratios become higher during this recombination process, which are distinctly different from that observed in the reductive growth

SUBMITTER: Cao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8163824 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature