Project Grant 2204110

The National Science Foundation awarded Professor Christopher Ackerson of Colorado State University a $499,000 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to study ligand regiochemistry on gold nanoclusters. Through June 2025, Professor Ackerson and his students will combine chemical synthesis techniques and advanced analytical tools to examine how different molecule types compete for binding sites on low-symmetry gold atom clusters. Specific goals include understanding monodentate ligand regiochemistry and determining the structural nature of bidentate thiol ligand binding on magic number gold clusters. Methodological approaches incorporate matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry to assess ligand exchange extent and single crystal X-ray diffraction or multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine ligand-exchange product regiochemistry. Colorado State University will oversee performance and Colorado State University System is the parent organization.