Red luminophores displaying large Stokes shift and high-quantum yields are obtained when gold salts are reacted with proteins under strongly alkaline conditions. Although bovine serum albumin (BSA) has mainly been used as a protein template, other attempts to prepare red luminophores have been proposed using other proteins. Here, we report on the structural characterization and nonlinear optical properties of insulin-gold conjugates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCopper-thiolate self-assembly nanostructures are a unique class of nanomaterials because of their interesting properties such as hierarchical structures, luminescence, and large nonlinear optical efficiency. Herein, we synthesized biomolecule cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) capped sub-100 nm self-assembly nanoparticles (Cu-Cys-GSH NPs) with red fluorescence. The as-synthesized NPs show high emission enhancement in the presence of ethanol, caused by the aggregation-induced emission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSingle-molecule spectroscopy (SMS) is a unique and competent technique to study molecule dynamics and sense biomolecules precisely. The design of an ultrahigh-stability single fluorophore probe with excellent photostability and long-lived dark transient states for single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is challenging. Here, we found that the photostability of bimetallic AuAg nanoclusters is better than monometallic Ag nanoclusters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn photodynamic therapy (PDT), light-sensitive photosensitizers produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) after irradiation in the presence of oxygen. Atomically-precise thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters are molecule-like nanostructures with discrete energy levels presenting long lifetimes, surface biofunctionality, and strong near-infrared excitation ideal for ROS generation in PDT. We directly compare thiolate-gold macromolecular complexes (Au) and atomically-precise gold nanoclusters (Au), and investigate the influence of ligands on their photoexcitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) have emerged as a new class of luminescent materials for potential applications in sensing, bio-imaging, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Here, we have synthesized gold-copper bimetallic nanoclusters (AuCu NCs) using a one-step co-reduction method and tuned the emission wavelength from 520 nm to 620 nm by changing the [Cu]/[Au] molar ratio. The quantum yield (QY) increases from 6% to 13% upon incorporation of the Cu atom in the Au NCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTailoring the hierarchical self-assembly of metal nanoclusters (NCs) is an emergent area of research owing to their precise structure and flexible surface environment. Herein, the morphological evolution from rods to platelets to ribbon-like structures through self-assembly of Cu NCs is dictated by the positional isomerism of the surface capping ligand, dimethylbenzenethiol (DMBT). Besides cuprophilic interaction, the interplay between π-π stacking and agostic interaction (Cu⋯H-C) directs the inter-NC organization into different ordered architectures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrecisely doped metal nanoclusters (NCs) are currently emerging nanomaterials for their unique photophysical properties. Here, we report the influence of single atom doping on the excited state relaxation dynamics of a series of MAg(2,4-MePhS) NCs where M is Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt. The NCs with a group 11 metal (Ag and Au) as central atoms exhibit dual emission at NIR and visible range, whereas it shows only NIR emission for group 10 metal (Pd and Pt) doped NCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudies on self-assembly of metal nanoclusters (MNCs) are an emerging field of research owing to their significant optical properties and potential applications in many areas. Fabricating the desired self-assembly structure for specific implementation has always been challenging in nanotechnology. The building blocks organize themselves into a hierarchical structure with a high order of directional control in the self-assembly process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Commun (Camb)
August 2020
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is a recently developed strategy to design highly luminescent metal nanoclusters (NCs), which can be controlled by the surface motifs [M(i)-SR] of NCs. This communication is an account to understand the AIE in gold silver (AuAg) NCs, where the Au(i)-thiolate motif is engineered by doping different amount of Ag in Au NCs. Investigation revealed the great impact of Au(i)-thiolate motifs on the AIE of AuAg NCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotophysics of atomically precise metal nanoclusters (MNCs) is an emerging area of research due to their potential applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, sensing, bio-imaging and catalysis. An overview of the recent advances in the photophysical properties of MNCs is presented in this review. To begin with, we illustrate general synthesis methodologies of MNCs using direct reduction, chemical etching, ligand exchange, metal exchange and intercluster reaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis feature article highlights the recent advances of luminescent metal nanoclusters (MNCs) for their potential applications in healthcare and energy-related materials because of their high photosensitivity, thermal stability, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. Current studies reveal that metal cluster based hybrid systems could pave the way for energy harvesting and sensing applications. To begin with, we illustrate general synthesis methodologies for atomically precise metal nanoclusters and discuss the origin of photoluminescence properties and the electronic transitions of nanoclusters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral strategies have been adopted to design an artificial light-harvesting system in which light energy is captured by peripheral chromophores and it is subsequently transferred to the core via energy transfer. A composite of carbon dots and dye-encapsulated BSA-protein-capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) has been developed for efficient light harvesting and white light generation. Carbon dots (C-dots) act as donor and AuNCs capped with BSA protein act as acceptor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetal cluster-semiconductor nanocomposite materials remain a frontier area of research for the development of optoelectronic, photovoltaic and light harvesting devices because metal nanoclusters and semiconductor QDs are promising candidates for photon harvesting. Here, we have designed well defined metal cluster-semiconductor nanostructures using different surface capped negatively charged Au25 nanoclusters (Au NCs) and positively charged cysteamine capped CdTe quantum dots using electrostatic interactions. The main focus of this article is to address the impact of surface capping agents on the photophysical properties of Au cluster-CdTe QD hybrid nanocomposites.
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