Mass thickness analysis of gold thin films using room temperature gas-phase chlorination

Chemical interaction of ultrathin gold films with gaseous chlorine at room temperature results in quantitative metal chlorination and formation of Au(III) chloride. Combination of gas-phase chlorination of Au nanostructures with dissolution of the chloride product and spectrophotometric determination of the chloroaurate concentration presents a simple procedure for quantitative determination of the mass thickness of Au nanostructures. The method is demonstrated by mass thickness analysis of the condensation coefficient of Au adatoms on solid substrates, the extinction coefficient of Au nanoparticles, as well as study of the integrity of Au island films upon interaction with solvents.