Synthesis of nanoscale arrays of coupled metal dots

We report on a synthetic strategy for fabrication of close-packed planar arrays of nanometer diameter metal clusters. The clusters are single fcc crystals of gold, each encapsulated by a monolayer of alkyl thiol molecules. They are electronically coupled by means of aryl dithiol molecules. This structure, which is of interest for developing nanoscale electronics, is created using molecular self-assembly methods. It should prove possible to tune the conductivity of such arrays from the metallic limit to the insulating limit by controlling the size of the gold clusters and the strength of the electronic coupling between them.