Search results for "Clusters"
showing 10 items of 1274 documents
Covalently linked multimers of gold nanoclusters Au102(p-MBA)44and Au∼250(p-MBA)n
2016
We present the synthesis, separation, and characterization of covalently-bound multimers of para-mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA) protected gold nanoclusters. The multimers were synthesized by performing a ligand-exchange reaction of a pre-characterized Au102(p-MBA)44 nanocluster with biphenyl-4,4′-dithiol (BPDT). The reaction products were separated using gel electrophoresis yielding several distinct bands. The bands were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealing monomer, dimer, and trimer fractions of the nanocluster. TEM analysis of dimers in combination with molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the nanoclusters are covalently bound via a disulfide bridge between BP…
Optical and electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons upon adsorption of ligand-protected aluminum clusters
2014
We have carried out first-principles calculations to investigate how the electronic and optical features of graphene nanoribbons are affected by the presence of atomic clusters. Aluminum clusters of different sizes and stabilized by organic ligands were deposited on graphene nanoribbons from which the energetic features of the adsorption plus electronic structure were treated within density-functional theory. Our results point out that, depending on their size and structure shape, the clusters perturb distinctively the electronic properties of the ribbons. We suggest that such selective response can be measured through optical means revealing that graphene nanoribbons can work as an efficie…
Background-Free Second-Harmonic Generation Microscopy of Individual Carbon Nanotubes
2015
We use polarized second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy to investigate pristine air-suspended carbon nanotubes (CNT). We show that SHG originates from CNT chirality, allowing also different response for the two circular polarizations of fundamental light.
Au102(p-MBA)44 nanocluster, a superatom suitable for bio-applications
2016
Inorganic nanoparticles, including metals, semiconductors and metal oxides, comprise a common set of structures exhibiting an inorganic core ‘passivated’ by an organic shell. Ligated inorganic nanoparticles currently provoke widespread fundamental interest in their structural, optical and magnetic properties, which differ fundamentally from bulk counterparts. These nanomaterials are already finding applications in biology, medicine, solar energy, and display panels. 1-6 Conjugating inorganic nanoparticles with organic (biological) material for applications in nanobiology and nanomedicine creates significant challenges for controlling the effects on the environment, particularly regarding to…
Template-Free Supracolloidal Self-Assembly of Atomically Precise Gold Nanoclusters : From 2D Colloidal Crystals to Spherical Capsids
2016
We report supracolloidal self-assembly of atomically precise and strictly monodisperse gold nanoclusters involving p-mercaptobenzoic acid ligands (Au102-pMBA44) under aqueous conditions into hexagonally packed monolayer-thick two-dimensional facetted colloidal crystals (thickness 2.7 nm) and their bending to closed shells leading to spherical capsids (d ca. 200 nm), as controlled by solvent conditions. The 2D colloidal assembly is driven in template-free manner by the spontaneous patchiness of the pMBA ligands around the Au102-pMBA44 nanoclusters preferably towards equatorial plane, thus promoting inter-nanocluster hydrogen bonds and high packing to planar sheets. More generally, the findin…
Atomically Precise Nanocluster Assemblies Encapsulating Plasmonic Gold Nanorods.
2018
The self-assembled structures of atomically precise, ligand-protected noble metal nanoclusters leading to encapsulation of plasmonic gold nanorods (GNRs) is presented. Unlike highly sophisticated DNA nanotechnology, this strategically simple hydrogen bonding-directed self-assembly of nanoclusters leads to octahedral nanocrystals encapsulating GNRs. Specifically, the p-mercaptobenzoic acid (pMBA)-protected atomically precise silver nanocluster, Na4 [Ag44 (pMBA)30 ], and pMBA-functionalized GNRs were used. High-resolution transmission and scanning transmission electron tomographic reconstructions suggest that the geometry of the GNR surface is responsible for directing the assembly of silver …
Tertiary Chiral Nanostructures from C‐H∙∙∙F Directed Assembly of Chiroptical Superatoms
2021
Chiral hierarchical structures are universal in nature, whereas quite challenging to mimic in man-made synthesis. We report herein the synthesis and structure of tertiary chiral nanostructures with 100% optical purity. A novel synthetic strategy, using chiral reducing agent, R and S -BINAPCuBH 4 (BINAP is 2,2'-Bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1'-binaphthyl), is developed to access to atomically precise, intrinsically chiral [Au 7 Ag 6 Cu 2 ( R - or S -BINAP) 3 (SCH 2 Ph) 6 ]SbF 6 nanoclusters in one-pot synthesis. The clusters represent the first tri-metallic superatoms with inherent chirality and fair stability. Both metal distribution (primary) and ligand arrangement (secondary) of the enantiomer…
Production of negative osmium ions by laser desorption and ionization.
2010
The interest to produce negative osmium ions is manifold in the realm of high-accuracy ion trap experiments: high-resolution nearly Doppler-free laser spectroscopy, antihydrogen formation in its ground state, and contributions to neutrino mass spectrometry. Production of these ions is generally accomplished by sputtering an Os sample with Cs(+) ions at tens of keV. Though this is a well-established method commonly used at accelerators, these kind of sources are quite demanding and tricky to operate. Therefore, the development of a more straightforward and cost effective production scheme will be of benefit for ion trap and other experiments. Such a scheme makes use of desorption and ionizat…
The Influence of Business Ecosystems on Innovation-Based Industries: A Research on the Mechanical Sector in Italy
2018
The business ecosystem perspective can be considered as a more advanced point of view for interpreting the development of local economic systems, if compared to more traditional concepts such as clusters, industrial districts, local or regional systems, and local networks. The business ecosystem perspective allows to better highlight the adaptive and evolutionary nature of local systems in front of the changing external environment and dynamics on national and international markets. The aim of the research was to analyze the key characteristics of firms belonging to a local business ecosystem specialized on an innovation-driven industry – the mechanical sector – in order to verify which kin…
Self-assembly of catalytically-active supramolecular coordination compounds within metal-organic frameworks
2019
[EN] Supramolecular coordination compounds (SCCs) represent the power of coordination chemistry methodologies to self-assemble discrete architectures with targeted properties. SCCs are generally synthesized in solution, with isolated fully coordinated metal atoms as structural nodes, thus severely limited as metal-based catalysts. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show unique features to act as chemical nanoreactors for the in situ synthesis and stabilization of otherwise not accessible functional species. Here, we present the self-assembly of Pd-II SCCs within the confined space of a pre-formed MOF (SCCs@MOF) and its post-assembly metalation to give a Pd-II-Au-III supra molecular assembly, c…