Scientists Visualize New Gold Quantum Needles at Nanoscale

Scientists at the University of Tokyo, Shinjiro Takano, Yuya Hamasaki, and Tatsuya Tsukuda, have accomplished a major feat in the field of nanotech. The scientists were able to see the very first stages of gold nanocluster formation, and even revealed a whole new structure. These so-called gold quantum needles, which are much longer than they are wide, are highly responsive to light in the near-infrared range. They published their findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

How Gold Quantum Needles Were Discovered

According to Phys, gold isn't just a representation of wealth, but is an integral component of nanotechnology. Gold at the nanoscale has special properties which are useful in cutting-edge science and medicine. Typically, nanoclusters containing fewer than 100 atoms are synthesised by the reduction of gold ions in the presence of capping ligands.

Future Applications in Medicine and Energy

AnYup Pyon and Tsukuda described the early stages by which gold nanoclusters formed as a “black box” that scientists could not peer into. To counter this, the researchers developed special synthesis conditions to prevent the nanoclusters from escaping in their early growth stages.

By means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, they were finally able to see the geometric structure of these minuscule particles down to the individual atom. They called them gold quantum needles since they revealed quantised behaviour in the electrons, a quantum phenomenon by which the electrons become confined to specific energy levels.

This new finding provides scientists with a rare, 3D glimpse of how nanoclusters form, knowledge that could stimulate new approaches to the design of materials with enhanced properties. In the future, the group plans to improve the synthesis methods and work with colleagues in biomedical imaging and energy to fully leverage the capabilities of gold quantum needles.