Gold cluster

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Gold clusters in cluster chemistry are gold nanoparticles, usually less than one micrometer in diameter.

Gold clusters can be suspended in a solution as a gold colloid. The cluster surface is usually covered with organic molecules, as in Au11(P(C6H5)3)7. This example, discovered in 1969 is a cluster of 11 gold atoms covered with 7 triphenylphosphine ligands. They can also be covered with alkanethiols or proteins.

The clusters can be used in immunohistochemical staining [1].

In May 2006 evidence was presented for the existence of hollow golden cages [2] Aun- with n = 16 to 18. These cluster compounds with diameter of 5.5 angstrom are generated by laser vaporation and can only be observed in the gas phase by photoelectron spectroscopy. Unlike the related hollow carbon clusters, fullerenes, this new type of gold cluster (dubbed "bucky gold") has not been isolated as an actual stable compound.


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  1. ^ New Frontiers in Gold Labeling James F. Hainfeld and Richard D. Powell The Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry Volume 48(4): 471–480, 2000 Online Article
  2. ^ Evidence of hollow golden cages Satya Bulusu, Xi Li , Lai-Sheng Wang, and Xiao Cheng Zeng Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA May 19, 2006 , Abstract
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