Chirality in Ligand-Stabilized Metal Clusters

Abstract

Structures and chirality of small ligand-protected metal clusters are discussed. Among ligand-protected metal clusters, thiolate-protected gold clusters have been studied most. Notably, these clusters often exhibit intrinsically chiral structures even in the absence of chiral ligands or other chiral stimuli. This article reviews the recent progress in the field of chiral monolayer-protected metal clusters. A brief introduction on metal clusters and nanoparticles is provided as well. Our understanding of chiral monolayer-protected metal clusters has matured to the point that the transition into early applications as asymmetric catalysts and in bioimaging has become feasible.