Luminescent Silver Clusters
with Covalent Functionalization
of Graphene
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Abstract
Brightly luminescent, atomically precise subnanometer
clusters
of silver protected by glutathione were covalently functionalized
by solution phase thiolated graphene using ligand exchange. A hybrid
molecule was formed, which was obtained in a nearly pure form by phase
transfer from the aqueous to the organic phase. The resulting hybrid
exhibited properties of both of these nanoscale materials. UV–vis,
luminescence, XPS, EDAX, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy were used to
characterize the hybrid structure, which showed the spectroscopic
characteristics of both the constituents. The luminescence of the
cluster was retained in the hybrid, along with features characteristic
of graphene. Atomically precise clusters with covalently linked graphene
will be useful for new applications in the areas of drug delivery,
sensors, and catalysis