A study of chemically prepared small metal clusters in the nonmetallic regime

Abstract

Small gold clusters [mean diameter (d)≲ 1.4 nm], unlike larger clusters, show a higher Au(4f) binding energy relative to the bulk value and the presence of a conductance gap in tunnelling measurements, just as the molecular cluster compound, Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆; small platinum clusters show similar nonmetallic features.