Pure Metal Clusters with Atomic Precision for Nanomanufacturing

Abstract Advances in cluster science have enabled the preparation of atomically precise metal clusters with one to a hundred atoms under controllable expansion conditions. After introducing typical gas-phase cluster preparation and reaction apparatuses, this work summarized recent progress in preparing pure metal clusters of single-atom resolution, including neutral and ionic ones, with typical examples of Al, V, Nb, Fe, Co, Ni, Rh, Pt, Ag, Cu, and Pb. With the development of soft-landing deposition technology, the size-selective pure metal clusters with strict atomic precision and predictive property will benefit nanomanufacturing down to atomic and near-atomic scales. This work serves as a modest motivation to stimulate the interest of scientists focusing on interdisciplinary subjects.