Copper nanoclusters: Synthesis, characterization and properties

Metal nanoclusters with a core size smaller than 2 nm have attracted much attention because of their unique physical and chemical properties. Among the studied metal nanoclusters, gold and silver have been studied extensively by size-controlled synthesis, structural characterization and properties investigations. Recently, considerable research effort has been devoted to the investigation of copper nanoclusters. In this review, we highlight recent progress in the study of copper nanoclusters in terms of synthesis methods, characterization techniques and their novel optical and catalytic properties.