Interrupted DNA and Slow Silver Cluster Luminescence.

A DNA-silver cluster conjugate is a hierarchical chromophore with a partly reduced silver core embedded within the DNA nucleobases that are covalently linked by the phosphodiester backbone. Specific sites within a polymeric DNA can be targeted to spectrally tune the silver cluster. Here, the repeated (CA) strand is interrupted with a thymine, and the resulting (CA)-T-(CA) forms only Ag, a chromophore with both prompt (∼1 ns) green and sustained (∼10 μs) red luminescence.