Quantitative analysis of air-oxidation reactions of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters

The interaction of dioxygen (O₂) with inorganic nanomaterials is one of the most essential steps to understanding the reaction mechanism of O₂-related reactions. However, quantitative analyses for O₂-binding processes and subsequent oxidation reactions on the surface are still elusive, whereas the reaction of O₂ with molecules such as transition metal complexes has been widely explored. Herein, we have quantitatively evaluated reaction processes of air-oxidation reactions of atomically precise thiolate-protected Au₂₅ nanoclusters ([Au₂₅(SR)₁₈]^-) as a model of O₂ activation by inorganic nanomaterials. Kinetic analyses on the air-oxidation reaction of [Au₂₅(SR)₁₈]^- revealed a controlling factor for O₂-activation processes, which could be finely tunable by the protecting thiolate ligands.