Synthesis of Metallic Nanoparticles Using Closed-Shell Structures as Templates

The synthesis and study of metallic nanoparticles are of continued and significant interest, with applications in materials science, catalysis, and medicine. The properties of metallic nanoparticles depend strongly on their particle size, shape, and interparticle distances. It is therefore desirable for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles to be controlled for specific shapes and sizes. The rapid development in this research area has attracted intense interest from researchers with diverse expertise, and numerous methods towards the synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles have been reported. In this Focus Review, we provide an overview of recent progress in the development of the template synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using closed-shell structures, including biological molecules/assemblies and cage molecules.