title: Au21S(SAdm)15: An Anisotropic Gold Nanomolecule. Optical and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy and First-Principles Theoretical Analysis.
abstract: We introduce a class of gold nanomolecules exhibiting anisotropy as a major feature by reporting steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence and anisotropy measurements and in-depth theoretical analysis of energetics and optical response of a recently synthesized Au21S(SAdm)15nanomolecule (SAdm = adamantanethiol). Starting from single-crystal X-ray data showing that Au21S(SAdm)15exhibits a symmetry-broken structure, we unambiguously demonstrate how this translates into a striking anisotropy of its properties, for example, of its (chiro)optical absorption spectrum of great promise for sensing, optoelectronic, and electrochemical applications, and argue about the abundance and general significance of this class of compounds.
authors.affiliation: CNR-ICCOM, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5337-4450
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fortunelli
authors.affiliation: CNR-ICCOM, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche , via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sementa
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Western Michigan University , Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, United States.
authors.forename: Viraj Dhanushka
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Thanthirige
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi , Oxford, Mississippi 38677, United States.
authors.forename: Tanya C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Trieste , 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stener
authors.affiliation: Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Mississippi , Oxford, Mississippi 38677, United States.
authors.forename: Amala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dass
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Western Michigan University , Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, United States.
authors.forename: Guda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna