The engineering of a new generation of advanced materials based on nanoparticles demands the fabrication of self-assembled arrays of passivated metal, oxide and semiconductor clusters (1 -). In particular the case of self-assembled gold clusters passivated with an organic molecule has attracted the attention of several researchers (2-3). Because its unique properties gold metal is a leading candidate for the fabrication of single electron tunneling devices.

Passivated gold nanoclusters were produced using the method developed by Brust et.al. (4) with the modifications of Whetten et.al (5) n-alkylthiol molecules were used as passivating agent. Carbon chains from C=4 to C=18 were used. It was found that C=12 dodecanethiol was optimum for forming ordered arrays of the clusters. To produce the superlattice crystallization a toluene vapor atmosphere was used. The passivated clusters were deposited on a copper electron microscope grid covered with carbon.