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Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles
Published on: July 2, 2019
Diphosphine-Stabilized Small Gold Nanoclusters: From Crystal Structure Determination to Ligation-Driven Symmetry
Liao-Yuan Yao1, Vivian Wing-Wah Yam1
1Institute of Molecular Functional Materials (Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)) and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China.
Abstract:
A new class of small gold nanoclusters with molecular characteristics has been constructed using 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) as the stabilizing ligand. The identities of the small gold nanoclusters have been fully characterized by NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Octa- and undecagold clusters are found to display different UV-vis absorption behavior. The ligation of the bidentate ligands and halides or pseudohalides has resulted in the symmetry breaking of these nanoclusters with C1 symmetry. The small gold nanoclusters with different coordinating halides or pseudohalides show distinct reactivities and stabilities in ligand/anion exchange experiments. The current research has provided insights into the origin of chirality in the diphosphine-stabilized small gold nanoclusters.
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