  Utilizing the strengths of nitrogen doped graphene quantum dot (N-GQD) as a
substrate, here in, we have shown that one can stabilize the catalytically more
active planar Au 20 (P-Au 20 ) compared to the thermodynamically more stable
tetrahedral structure (T-Au 20 ) on an N-GQD. Clearly, this simple route avoids
the usage of traditional transition metal oxide substrates which have been
suggested and used for stabilizing the planar structure for a long time.
Considering the experimental success in the synthesis of N-GQDs and in the
stabilization of Au nanoparticles on N-doped graphene, we expect our proposed
method to stabilize planar structure will be realized experimentally and will
be useful for industrial level applications.
