Electron microscopy of gold nanoparticles at atomic resolution

Structure determination of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is necessary for understanding their physical and chemical properties, but only one AuNP larger than 1 nanometer in diameter [a 102–gold atom NP (Au102NP)] has been solved to atomic resolution. Whereas the Au102NP structure was determined by x-ra...

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Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2014-08, Vol.345 (6199), p.909-912
Main Authors: Azubel, Maia, Koivisto, Jaakko, Malola, Sami, Bushnell, David, Hura, Greg L., Koh, Ai Leen, Tsunoyama, Hironori, Tsukuda, Tatsuya, Pettersson, Mika, Häkkinen, Hannu, Kornberg, Roger D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum
Atomic structure
Capping
Crystal structure
Density functional theory
Gold
Ligands
Nanoparticles
Transmission electron microscopy
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Summary:Structure determination of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is necessary for understanding their physical and chemical properties, but only one AuNP larger than 1 nanometer in diameter [a 102–gold atom NP (Au102NP)] has been solved to atomic resolution. Whereas the Au102NP structure was determined by x-ray crystallography, other large AuNPs have proved refractory to this approach. Here, we report the structure determination of a Au68NP at atomic resolution by aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, performed with the use of a minimal electron dose, an approach that should prove applicable to metal NPs in general. The structure of the Au68NP was supported by small-angle x-ray scattering and by comparison of observed infrared absorption spectra with calculations by density functional theory.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1251959