title: Enhanced immobilization of gold nanoclusters on graphite.
abstract: The immobilization of individual biological molecules by metal nanoparticles requires that the particles themselves be immobilized. We introduce a new technique for immobilization of gold clusters based on their binding to small tunnels in a graphite support, themselves created by the implantation of small clusters. These tunnels are shown to perform as more effective cluster immobilization sites than point defects on the surface of graphite. The method is tested with atomic force microscopy (AFM) (both contact and noncontact mode) scanning. Size-selected clusters with 923, 561, 309, and 147 atoms have been immobilized and imaged with high-resolution, noncontact AFM.
authors.affiliation: Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham , Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Zamora
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D001128:Argon / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001128:Argon; D006046:Gold; D006108:Graphite