ABSTRACT
Clusters, mostly ensemble of atoms or molecules, can be considered a new type of materials since they often possess unique size-dependent properties at the nanoscale. Clusters can be defined as countable numbers of particles between two and several thousands with a special atomic/molecular arrangement intermediate in between the atomic and the bulk states. Major applications of metal clusters are mostly in biology, energy and environment due to small size, low toxicity and biocompatibility. Innovations in new experimental techniques led to producing the desired size-geometry-composition of clusters by precise controlling the number of atoms in the cluster. Production of nanoclusters with liquid-state chemistry is mostly used for manufacturing process due to possible large-scale productions with low cost. However, there are some technical difficulties in many applications where clusters need to be transferred to solid surfaces. Therefore, there is great scientific interest and technological demand in synthesizing clusters directly on solid surfaces.
