Gas-phase Clusters
Evidence has been presented for the existence of hollow golden cages with the partial formula Aun- with n = 16 to 18. These cluster compounds with diameter of 550 picometres are observed in the gas-phase after they have been generated by laser vaporization and can be observed in the gas phase by photoelectron spectroscopy. Using similar gas-phase techniques that rely on mass spectrometry, the structures of neutral gold clusters have been investigated and the unique tetrahedral structure of Au20 has been confirmed.
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