Gold(I)-alkanethiolate nanotubes.

A solution approach to assembling Au(I)-alkanethiolates into nanotube structures at room temperature is presented, in which Au(I) cations and alkanethiolate ligands are coordinated into thin platelet forms that then evolve into an open tubular configuration. The organic-inorganic hybrid nature of the nanotubes, their ability to be modified, and their high stability make them of interest for practical applications.