Size effect on the catalysis of gold clusters dispersed in water for aerobic oxidation of alcohol

A set of nearly monodisperse gold clusters ranging from 1.3 to 10 nm was prepared by a seed-mediated growth in the presence of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP). Catalytic activities of the Au:PVP clusters for aerobic oxidation of p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol increased with decrease in the core size. The size dependence is discussed in light of the electronic structures of the cores probed by optical spectroscopy.