Researchers at the Xiamen University in China and the
University of Jyväskylä in Finland have characterized a series of stable 1.5 nm
metal nanoclusters containing 44 metal atoms, stabilized by 30 organic thiol
molecules on the surface. Two types of clusters were synthesized, containing
either 44 silver atoms or an intermetallic cluster of 12 gold and 32 silver
atoms. The work in the University of Jyväskylä is funded by the Academy of
Finland.