title: [Au5Mes5]: improved gram-scale synthesis and its use as a convenient precursor for halide-free supported gold nanoparticles.
abstract: A simple one-step and gram-scale synthesis of [Au5Mes5] from AuCl3 was developed, and this molecular precursor was used to generate Au nanoparticles on SiO2 and Al2O3. While [Au5Mes5] does not react with surface silanols and is only physisorbed, its incipient wetness impregnation followed by H2 treatment leads to a narrow size distribution of 1.4 nm Au nanoparticles. In contrast, [Au5Mes5] reacts with partially dehydroxylated Al2O3 to directly yield 1 nm Au nanoparticles along with adsorbed species. A subsequent treatment under hydrogen leads to a narrow size distribution of smaller 0.8 nm Au particles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH-Zürich, Vladimir Prelog Weg 1-5, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland. ccoperet@inorg.chem.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mougel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Copéret