Au144-xPdx(SR)(60) nanomolecules

Au144-xPdx(SR)(60) alloy nanomolecules were synthesized and characterized by ESI mass spectrometry to atomic precision. The number of Pd atoms can be varied by changing the incoming metal ratio and plateaus at 7 Pd atoms. Based on the proposed 3-shell structure of Au-144(SR)(60), we hypothesize that the Pd atoms are selectively incorporated into the central Au-12 icosahedral core.