Gold nanoparticles, formed by a controllable reduction of tetrachlorauric acid (HAuCl4) and subsequently coated by a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) molecules, were used to investigate lateral single-electron tunneling (L-SET) using an ultrahigh vacuum four probe technique with gold electrodes on SiO 2 /Si(100) at low temperature 16 K, and were also used to test ultraviolet absorption. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to confirm the gold particles coated by a SAM of MPA. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging showed that the coated particles were dispersed in diameter size and spherical in shape. Experimental data from electrical transport measurements are in well agreement with semi-classical predictions for correlated L-SET and permit estimations of the electrical resistance and capacitance in a multi-tunnel system composed of various tunnel junctions. Ultraviolet absorption spectra showed a small blue shift for the smaller particle, and the phenomena of blue shift caused by quantum size effect were also discussed.