Thiolate-protected gold cluster

Structure of Au25R18-,(R=SCH2Ph, white: H, grey: C, dull yellow :S, yellow: Au) single crystal X-ray diffractometry. Top left: full structure; middle : only gold core and Au-S shell displayed, bottom right: only Au13-core displayed

Thiolate-protected gold clusters are a type of ligand-protected metal cluster, synthesized from gold ions and thin layer compounds that play a special role in cluster physics because of their unique stability and electronic properties. They are considered to be stable compounds.[1]

These clusters can range in size up to hundreds of gold atoms, above which they are classified as passivated gold nanoparticles.

  1. ^ Rongchao Jin: Quantum sized, thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters; Nanoscale, 2010, 2, 343–362l (doi:10.1039/B9NR00160C).