Connecting ligand binding preferences between atomically precise clusters and large nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles possess unique optical and magnetic properties compared to bulk gold, allowing for various significant applications.Previous nanoscience work reveals a significant discovery by Burgi et al, that the ligand exchanges with free thiols and nanocluster Au25(SR)18 is done in a manner that isn’t governed by probability. This project is meant to quantify the ligand exchange of thiolate-protected gold nanoparticles and compare with that of Au25(SR)18 model clusters and determine whether similar ligand preferences exist.