Nanocluster
Collection of bound atoms or molecules / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Nanoclusters are atomically precise, crystalline materials most often existing on the 0-2 nanometer scale.[citation needed] They are often considered[by whom?] kinetically stable intermediates that form during the synthesis of comparatively larger materials such as semiconductor and metallic nanocrystals. The majority of research conducted to study nanoclusters has focused on characterizing their crystal structures and understanding their role in the nucleation and growth mechanisms of larger materials.
This article needs attention from an expert in Chemistry. The specific problem is: Undue focus on metal nanoclusters,possible overlap with Nanoparticle.. See the talk page for details. (February 2022) |
Materials can be categorized into three different regimes, namely bulk, nanoparticles and nanoclusters.[according to whom?] Bulk metals are electrical conductors and good optical reflectors and metal nanoparticles display intense colors due to surface plasmon resonance.[1] However, when the size of metal nanoclusters is further reduced to form a nanocluster, the band structure becomes discontinuous and breaks down into discrete energy levels, somewhat similar to the energy levels of molecules.[2][1][3][4][5] This gives nanoclusters similar qualities as a singular molecule[6] and does not exhibit plasmonic behavior; nanoclusters are known as the bridging link between atoms and nanoparticles.[7][2][1][3][4][5][8][9][10][11][12] Nanoclusters may also be referred to as molecular nanoparticles.[13]