Single electron charging events on Au-Ag alloy nanoclusters

Hexanethiol (HT) protected Au-Ag alloy clusters of size 1 nm-2 nm, have been used to follow discrete single electron charging events both in the solution phase using electrochemical techniques and in the dry state, by employing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Fairly well-defined charging peaks are observed for an ensemble of alloy clusters in the solution phase.