Precise synthesis, functionalization and application of thiolate-protected gold clusters

•A review of research concerning thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters is presented.•High-resolution separation was possible by high performance liquid chromatography.•Functionality was imparted by heteroatom substitution or functionalized ligands.•These nanoclusters were utilized as the active sites in photocatalytic materials.

Thiolate-protected gold clusters (Aun(SR)m) have received significant attention as new functional nanomaterials because they exhibit size-specific physical and chemical properties that are not seen in bulk gold. To date, our research group has studied the following three aspects of Aun(SR)m and related clusters: (1) the development of new methods allowing precise synthesis; (2) the establishment of new methods to impart high functionality; and (3) the utilization of these clusters as active sites in photocatalytic materials. This review summarizes our most recent work concerning these three subjects.

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