Monolayers in Three Dimensions: Synthesis and Electrochemistry of ?-Functionalized Alkanethiolate-Stabilized Gold Cluster Compounds

摘要

Following an important paper by Brust et al., we recently described gold cluster compounds in which a ca. 1,2 nm radius Au core modeled as a 309 atom octahedron is stabilized by monolayers of 95 alkanethiolate (C8, C12, or C16) ligands. These clustermolecules are exceptional in comparison to other large clusters, being air stable, isolable, nonpolar solvent-soluble, black solids that exhibit significant electron hopping conductivity. Characterization tools (e.g., NMR spectrosoopy, thermal analysis)not applicable to monolayers on planar surfaces are readily applied to these three-dimensional variants of self-assembled monolayers.