Search results for " Nanocluster"
showing 6 items of 56 documents
Jahn–Teller effects in Au25(SR)18
2016
The relationship between oxidation state, structure, and magnetism in many molecules is well described by first-order Jahn–Teller distortions. This relationship is not yet well defined for ligated nanoclusters and nanoparticles, especially the nano-technologically relevant gold-thiolate protected metal clusters. Here we interrogate the relationships between structure, magnetism, and oxidation state for the three stable oxidation states, −1, 0 and +1 of the thiolate protected nanocluster Au25(SR)18. We present the single crystal X-ray structures of the previously undetermined charge state Au25(SR)18+1, as well as a higher quality single crystal structure of the neutral compound Au25(SR)180. …
Molecule-like photodynamics of Au102(pMBA)44 nanocluster.
2015
Photophysical properties of a water-soluble cluster Au102(pMBA)44 (pMBA = para-mercaptobenzoic acid) are studied by ultrafast time-resolved mid-IR spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations in order to distinguish between molecular and metallic behavior. In the mid-IR transient absorption studies, visible or near-infrared light is used to electronically excite the sample, and the subsequent relaxation is monitored by studying the transient absorption of a vibrational mode in the ligands. Based on these studies, a complete picture of energy relaxation dynamics is obtained: (1) 0.5-1.5 ps electronic relaxation, (2) 6.8 ps vibrational cooling, (3) intersystem crossing from the low…
Total Structure and Electronic Structure Analysis of Doped Thiolated Silver [MAg24(SR)18]2– (M = Pd, Pt) Clusters
2015
With the incorporation of Pd or Pt atoms, thiolated Ag-rich 25-metal-atom nanoclusters were successfully prepared and structurally characterized for the first time. With a composition of [PdAg24(SR)18](2-) or [PtAg24(SR)18](2-), the obtained 25-metal-atom nanoclusters have a metal framework structure similar to that of widely investigated Au25(SR)18. In both clusters, a M@Ag12 (M = Pd, Pt) core is capped by six distorted dimeric -RS-Ag-SR-Ag-SR- units. However, the silver-thiolate overlayer gives rise to a geometric chirality at variance to Au25(SR)18. The effect of doping on the electronic structure was studied through measured optical absorption spectra and ab initio analysis. This work d…
A Unified AMBER-Compatible Molecular Mechanics Force Field for Thiolate-Protected Gold Nanoclusters.
2016
We present transferable AMBER-compatible force field parameters for thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters. Five different sized clusters containing both organo-soluble and water-soluble thiolate ligands served as test systems in MD simulations, and parameters were validated against DFT and experimental results. The cluster geometries remain intact during the MD simulations in various solvents, and structural fluctuations and energetics showed agreement with DFT calculations. Experimental diffusion coefficients and crystal structures were also reproduced with sufficient accuracy. The presented parameter set contains the minimum number of cluster-specific parameters enabling the use of these p…
The Role of the Anchor Atom in the Ligand of the Monolayer-Protected Au25(XR)18– Nanocluster
2015
We present a density functional theory (DFT) investigation on the role of the anchor atom and ligand on the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the anionic Au25(XR)18– nanocluster (X = S, Se, Te; R = H, CH3, and (CH2)2Ph). Substituting the anchor atom with other group 16 elements induces subtle changes in the Au–Au and Au–X bond lengths and polarization of the covalent bond. The changes in the electronic structure based on substituting both the anchor and R groups are presented through careful analysis of the density of states and theoretical determined optical spectra. We give a detailed side-by-side comparison into the structural, electronic, and optical properties of Au25(X…
Recombinant nanocapsid for targeted theranostic delivery
2017
Developments in diagnostic and therapeutic delivery are trending towards molecular level targeting with nano-platforms. Targeted delivery reduces generalized distribution by localizing diagnostic and/or therapeutic (theranostic) molecules to an intended target site. The first section of this thesis proposes Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) nanocapsids as a vector to stabilize and target theranostic delivery. Derived from the capsid protein of HEV, a feco-orally transmitted virus, HEV-like particles self-assemble in to non-infectious, nanocapsids that can withstand harsh protease and pH conditions in the mucosal system. The flexible nanocapsid surface protrusion domain is amenable to substantial modi…