Counting the atoms in supported, monolayer-protected gold clusters

Z W Wang; O Toikkanen; F Yin; Z Y Li; B M Quinn; R E Palmer

doi:10.1021/ja909598g

Counting the atoms in supported, monolayer-protected gold clusters

J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Mar 10;132(9):2854-5. doi: 10.1021/ja909598g.

Authors

Z W Wang¹, O Toikkanen, F Yin, Z Y Li, B M Quinn, R E Palmer

Affiliation

¹ Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom.

PMID: 20151650
DOI: 10.1021/ja909598g

Abstract

Mass spectrometry of supported, monolayer-protected, nominally Au(38) (MP-Au(38)) clusters is performed via quantitative High Angle Annular Dark Field-Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM) using size-selected Au(N) clusters (N = 25, 38, 55) as mass standards. With the intensity due to the (presumed) 24 hexanethiolate ligands taken into account, the clusters are found to contain 38 +/- 2 Au atoms. The method may also be used to determine the degree of aggregation of deposited nanoparticles.