Gold Nanoparticles and Nanoclusters

One area related to gold clusters is the field of nanoparticles and nanoclusters. These materials have actually been known since ancient times when they were used for their esthetic appeal and also for their therapeutic properties in the form of colloidal gold. In recent decades, the field of nanoparticle research has emerged and in-depth research has dealt with the properties and potential applications of these systems. 

These Au nanoparticles, protected by a monolayer of thiolated ligands, display interesting properties, such as single-electron charging and molecule-like HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, and can be used in optical and chemical sensing [70, 71]. Their physicochemical properties are closely related to their size and size distribution. Therefore, the ability to synthesize nano particles in a size-controlled 

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Khlebtsov B, Zharov V, Melnikov A, Tuchin V, Khlebtsov N. Optical amplification of photothermal therapy with gold nanoparticles and nanoclusters. Nanotechnology 2006 17 5167-79. 

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