Charge state-dependent catalytic activity of [Au ₂₅ (SC ₁₂ H ₂₅ ) ₁₈ ] nanoclusters for the two-electron reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide

The electrochemical production of H2O2 from O2 catalyzed by [Au25(SC12H25)18] was studied as a function of the charge state (-1, 0 and +1). Maximum H2O2 production (∼90%) was obtained from the negatively charged clusters (Au25(-)) due to the efficient electron transfer from the anionic Au25(-) cluster into the LUMO (π*) of O2.