Quantitative analysis of air-oxidation reactions of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters

The interaction of dioxygen (O 2 ) with inorganic nanomaterials is one of the most essential steps to understanding the reaction mechanism of O 2 -related reactions. However, quantitative analyses for O 2 -binding processes and subsequent oxidation reactions on the surface are still elusive, whereas the reaction of O 2 with molecules such as transition metal complexes has been widely explored. Herein, we have quantitatively evaluated reaction processes of air-oxidation reactions of atomically precise thiolate-protected Au 25 nanoclusters ( [Au 25 (SR) 18 ] − ) as a model of O 2 activation by inorganic nanomaterials. Kinetic analyses on the air-oxidation reaction of [Au 25 (SR) 18 ] − revealed a controlling factor for O 2 -activation processes, which could be finely tunable by the protecting thiolate ligands. The interaction of dioxygen (O 2 ) with inorganic nanomaterials is one of the most essential steps to understanding the reaction mechanism of O 2 -related reactions.