Communication
Extremely High Stability of Glutathionate‐Protected Au25 Clusters Against Core Etching†
†
This work was financially supported by Grants‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research (Nos. 16510079 and 18033007) and the “Nanotechnology Support Project” of MEXT (Japan), the Industrial Technology Research Grant Program in 2004 from NEDO of Japan, and the CREST program sponsored by JST.
Abstract
Size matters: The core‐etching reaction by free glutathione is studied for glutathionate (SG)‐protected Aun(SG)m clusters with n=10–39 and m=10–24 (see picture). Only the Au25(SG)18 clusters remain unetched, whereas the Aun(SG)m clusters with n<25 and n>25 are transformed into a AuI:SG complex and stable Au25:SG, respectively. The selective synthesis of thiolate (SR)‐protected Au25:SR on a large scale may be possible.
