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Structure determination of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is necessary for understanding their physical and chemical properties, but only one AuNP larger than 1 nanometer in diameter a 102-gold atom NP (Au102NP) has been solved to atomic resolution. Whereas the Au102NP structure was determined by x-ray crystallography, other large AuNPs have proved refractory to this approach. Here, we report the structure determination of a Au68NP at atomic resolution by aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, performed with the use of a minimal electron dose, an approach that should prove applicable to metal NPs in general. The structure of the Au68NP was supported by small-angle x-ray scattering and by comparison of observed infrared absorption spectra with calculations by density functional theory.
Azubel et al. (Thu,) studied this question.