Due to their ultrasmall size, low toxicity, strong photoluminescence and ease with which they can be chemically modified, luminescent metal (and especially the group IB metal) nanoclusters have attracted increasing research interest, and have emerged as one of the most attractive nanomaterials. Several methods, such as one-pot, ligand exchange, and metal exchange methods have been recently explored to synthesize atomically precise nanoclusters of various sizes and compositions; and the luminescence intensity of some of these is comparable to or even superior to that of the traditional fluorescent nanomaterials (such as quantum dots), and organic dyes. Specifically, their high photostability, purity and atomic precision provide an opportunity for an in-depth understanding into structure–optical property correlations. This review summarizes recent progress in the field, including synthetic protocols, structural characteristics, luminescence properties, and mechanistic investigations. The prospects for future development and applications are also covered.

由于其超小尺寸，低毒性，强光致发光性以及易于化学修饰的特性，发光金属（尤其是IB族金属）纳米簇吸引了越来越多的研究兴趣，并已成为最有吸引力的纳米材料之一。最近已经探索了几种方法，例如一锅法，配体交换法和金属交换法，以合成各种尺寸和组成的原子精确的纳米团簇。并且其中一些的发光强度与传统的荧光纳米材料（例如量子点）和有机染料相当或什至优于传统的荧光纳米材料和有机染料。特别是，它们的高光稳定性，纯度和原子精度为深入了解结构-光学性质相关性提供了机会。这篇综述总结了该领域的最新进展，包括合成方案，结构特征，发光特性和机理研究。还涵盖了未来的开发和应用前景。