Gold clusters and nanoparticles have become an active research field lately because of the discovery of remarkable catalytic properties of nanogold and their potential applications in nanoelectronics, nanosensors, and as biological markers. The chemistry of gold is dominated by the strong relativistic effects and the so-called aurophilic attraction, leading to highly unusual structures for gold clusters and compounds relative to those for copper and silver. One of the most interesting findings has been the planar gold cluster anions with more than ten atoms. These unique planar cluster anions were experimentally discovered using ion mobility, interpreted on the basis of the strong relativistic effects of Au, and were further confirmed by a joint photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density-functional theory (DFT) study. Among other exciting discoveries in elemental gold clusters include the tetrahedral Au20 cluster and the golden fullerene Au32 cage cluster reported recently.
Revised: October 25, 2005 |
Published: November 1, 2004
Citation
Zhai H.J., J. Li, and L.S. Wang. 2004.Icosahedral Gold Cage Clusters: M@Au-12 (M=V, Nb, and Ta).Journal of Chemical Physics 121, no. 17:8369-8374.PNNL-SA-43615.