Glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (Aux-GSH NCs) are anchored along with a sensitizing squaraine dye on a TiO2 surface to evaluate the cosensitizing role of Au(x)-GSH NCs in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Photoelectrochemical measurements show an increase in the photoconversion efficiency of DSSCs when both sensitizers are present. The observed photoelectrochemical improvements in cosens...

Surface organic ligands are critical for the formation and properties of atomically precise metal nanoclusters. In contrast to the conventionally used protective ligands such as thiolates and phosphines, thiacalix[4]arene has been used in the synthesis of a silver nanocluster, [Ag35(H2L)2(L)(C≡CBu(t))16](SbF6)3, (H4L, p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]-arene). This is the first structurally determined ca...

A quantitative comparison between experiment and theory is given for the constant height mode imaging of metal nanoclusters in dynamic scanning force microscopy. We explain the fundamental mechanisms in the contrast formation with the help of the system Pd/MgO 001 . The comparison shows that the shape and size of nanoclusters are precisely imaged due to the sharpness of the tip’s last nanometer...

This study proposes a seed/template-free method that affords high-purity semiconducting nanowires from nanoclusters, which act as basic building blocks for nanomaterials, under supercritical CO2 fluid. Polycrystalline nanowires of Gd-doped ceria (Gd-CeO2) were formed by CO2-mediated non-oriented attachment of the nanoclusters resulting from the dissociation of single-crystalline aggregates. The...

Approach • Study the kinetics of fuel cell electrode reactions on well-characterized model electrodes and high surface area fuel cell electrocatalysts using modern electroanalytical methods. • Study the mechanisms of the reactions using state-of-the art in-situ spectroscopes. • Use ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) methods of surface preparation and surface analyses to form tailored surfaces. • Synthesize...

Fe nanoclusters are becoming the standard catalysts for growing single-walled carbon nanotubes via chemical vapor decomposition. Contrary to the Gibbs-Thompson model, we find that the reduction of the catalyst size requires an increase of the minimum temperature necessary for the growth. We address this phenomenon in terms of solubility of C in Fe nanoclusters and, by using first-principles cal...

The Au(144)(SR)(60) nanocluster has been a subject of structural conjecture since its initial description over a decade ago as a 29 kDa compound, yet a decisive empirical structure is elusive. Herein we show that (1)H NMR spectroscopy can provide a detailed view of ligand-layer equivalence for thiolate protected gold nanoclusters. We show that Au(25)(SR)(18), Au(38)(SR)(24) and Au(102)(SR)(44) ...

Scanning force microscopy was used to study localized charge deposition and subsequent transport in Co nanoclusters embedded in SiO2 deposited on an n-type Si substrate. Co nanoclusters were charged by applying a bias voltage pulse between tip and sample, and electrostatic force microscopy was used to image charged areas, to determine quantitatively the amount of stored charge, and to character...

Many lipid-tethered proteins and glycolipids exist as monomers and nanoclusters on the surface of living cells. The spatial distribution and dynamics of formation and breakup of nanoclusters does not reflect thermal and chemical equilibrium and is controlled by active remodeling of the underlying cortical actin. We propose a model for nanoclustering based on active hydrodynamics, wherein cell s...

Ultra-small, magic-sized metal nanoclusters represent an important new class of materials with properties between molecules and particles. However, their small size challenges the conventional methods for structure characterization. Here we present the structure of ultra-stable Au144(SR)60 magic-sized nanoclusters obtained from atomic pair distribution function analysis of X-ray powder diffract...