Ligand-protected gold (Au_n) clusters sometimes need the removal of organic ligands to expose more active sites and reduce steric hindrance in catalytic reactions, and large amount of organic and inorganic materials usually need to be employed as supports to anchor Au_n clusters through different interaction mechanisms. Whereas, less comprehensive summaries have been provided about the crucial contribution of various supports on the catalytic performance of the supported Au_n clusters. Herein, this review firstly summarizes synthesis methods (e.g., impregnation and encapsulation processes) for the supported Au_n cluster catalysts, and then mainly points out specific contributions of support effect in a great diversity of catalytic reactions, as well as deep interaction mechanisms. Besides, opportunities and challenging issues will be stated towards supported Au_n clusters, in terms of improving catalytic performance and structural stability of Au_n clusters in the demand of catalysis.

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