Assembly of Gold Clusters Using Organic Cross-Linkers

The pyridine moieties of the 1,4-bis((E)-2-(pyridin-4-yl)vinyl)benzene cross-linker bind gold clusters leading to the metal-organic framework (MOF). Influence of the binding of the gold cluster to the free cross-linker on the electronic structure is studied, using the Au8 cluster as a model for gold nanoparticles. Binding energies of the first and the second gold cluster to the cross-linker are calculated and compared. The solvent effect is investigated as well as the effect of the deactivation of the central benzene ring of the cross-linker.

For more details, see: M. Orbach, M. Lahav, P. Milko, S. G. Wolf, M. E. van der Boom, Setting the Environmental Conditions for Controlling Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 51, 2012, 7142 – 7145 (read online).