The preparation and derivatization of a series of surface functionalized 30 angstrom cadmium sulfide nanoclusters possessing surfaces of varied electron demand, tethered covalently to an electroactive fluorescent ruthenium polypyridyl complex, are described. Electrochemical analyses of these nanoclusters bearing ruthenium moieties yield a monotonic relationship between the Ru(II/III) oxidation potential and the electron withdrawing nature of the cluster surface, indicating that the electron density at the electroactive ruthenium center is indeed influenced by remote electropositive and electronegative substituents attached to the nanocluster. Further evidence of cluster mediated electronic interactions between reote surface moieities presents itself in the form of a dependence of the integrated rutheium based MLCT emission intensity on the mole percent of attached thoilate capping agent possessing an electron withdrawing substituent in the position para to the point of cluster attachment.