**Controlled Thiolate-Protected Gold and Alloy Clusters**

Bharat Kumar, Yoshiki Niihori,

Wataru Kurashige and Yuichi Negishi

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/67833

#### **Abstract**

Small metal clusters exhibit physical and chemical properties that differ substantially from those of corresponding bulk metals. Furthermore, the properties of clusters vary greatly depending on the number of constituent atoms. Metal clusters with these characteristics currently attract great attention in a wide range of fields as new nanoscale functional materials. In recent years, the techniques to precisely synthesize metal clusters protected with organic ligands and polymers with atomic precision have advanced dramatically. In addition, substantial knowledge of the size-specific physical/chemical properties exhibited by these metal clusters has been accumulated. In this chapter, we describe the precise synthesis methods of the most studied thiolate (SR)-protected gold clusters Au*<sup>n</sup>* (SR)*m* and their heteroatom-substituted clusters (alloy clusters).

**Keywords:** gold clusters, alloy clusters, precise synthesis, fractionation, size focusing, metal exchange
