Chemical exfoliation method was applied to transform bulky assemblies of Au(I)-3-mercaptopropionate (MPA) coordination polymer (CP) to nanosheets and nanostrings using sodium citrate as an exfoliator. The exfoliation process and the structural characteristics of the Au(l)-MPA nanosheets and nanostrings were fully investigated by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and so on. As the structural rigidity and stability of the obtained Au(l)-MPA nanosheets, they are ideal precursors for fabrication of water soluble gold nanopartide assemblies through progressive pyrolysis. This work provides a significant strategy toward the morphology regulation of CP nanostructures and will inspire further development of this research area. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.