| Abstract
| - The synthesis and characterization of stable nanometer-sized alkanethiolate-protectedpalladium particles are described. The particles were synthesized in a biphasic system, andthe formation appeared to involve a dynamic process, where initially larger particles werequickly formed, followed by decomposition into smaller and more stable particles. The solutioncolor was found to change concurrently. With varied synthetic conditions, the particle sizewas found to vary and fall mainly within the size range of 1−5 nm in diameter with modestdispersity as determined by transmission electron microscopy. UV−vis spectroscopicmeasurements showed a Mie scattering profile, but no well-defined surface−plasmonresonance. FTIR studies indicated that the monolayers became more ordered with longerchain lengths of the protecting alkanethiolates. Electrochemical studies exhibited thesolution-phase Coulomb staircase charging of the particle double layers, analogous to theobservations with gold particles, where the peak spacings corresponded to a (sub)attofaradcapacitance for the palladium particles.
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