Quantum sized, thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters

Ultrasmall gold nanoparticles for highly specific isolation/enrichment of N-linked glycosylated peptides

In recent years, gold nanoparticles have been increasingly utilized as a promising material for biomedical analysis. We report here for the first time the synthesis of ultrasmall gold nanoparticles with core diameter of 1.2 nm functionalized with hydrazide groups and their use in isolation/enrichment of N-glycosylated peptides. Hydrazide-functionalized gold nanoparticles showed excellent stability in biological samples and exhibited a large capacity for peptide capturing. The captured peptides from tested standard glycoproteins were found to be highly specific as determined by Agilent HPLC chip and quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometer. The hydrazide-functionalized gold nanoparticles were successfully utilized in the isolation of a real proteome complex, which showed that more than 90% of captured product was glycopeptide. These results demonstrate that the ultrasmall gold nanoparticles can be used for a high-throughput analysis platform of glycoproteins.

Gold nanoprobes for theranostics

Gold nanoprobes have become attractive diagnostic and therapeutic agents in medicine and life sciences research owing to their reproducible synthesis with atomic level precision, unique physical and chemical properties, versatility of their morphologies, flexibility in functionalization, ease of targeting, efficiency in drug delivery and opportunities for multimodal therapy. This review highlights some of the recent advances and the potential for gold nanoprobes in theranostics.

Synthesis of highly fluorescent metal (Ag, Au, Pt, and Cu) nanoclusters by electrostatically induced reversible phase transfer

This paper reports a simple and scalable method for the synthesis of highly fluorescent Ag, Au, Pt, and Cu nanoclusters (NCs) based on a mild etching environment made possible by phase transfer via electrostatic interactions. Using Ag as a model metal, a simple and fast (total synthesis time < 3 h) phase transfer cycle (aqueous → organic (2 h incubation) → aqueous) has been developed to process originally polydisperse, nonfluorescent, and unstable Ag NCs into monodisperse, highly fluorescent, and extremely stable Ag NCs in the same phase (aqueous) and protected by the same thiol ligand. The synthetic protocol was successfully extended to fabricate highly fluorescent Ag NCs protected by custom-designed peptides with desired functionalities (e.g., carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amine). The facile synthetic method developed in this study should largely contribute to the practical applications of this new class of fluorescence probes.

Crystal structures of Au2 complex and Au25 nanocluster and mechanistic insight into the conversion of polydisperse nanoparticles into monodisperse Au25 nanoclusters

We previously reported a size-focusing conversion of polydisperse gold nanoparticles capped by phosphine into monodisperse [Au(25)(PPh(3))(10)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)(5)Cl(2)](2+) nanoclusters in the presence of phenylethylthiol. Herein, we have determined the crystal structure of [Au(25)(PPh(3))(10)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)(5)Cl(2)](2+) nanoclusters and also identified an important side-product-a Au(I) complex formed in the size focusing process. The [Au(25)(PPh(3))(10)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)(5)Cl(2)](2+) cluster features a vertex-sharing bi-icosahedral core, resembling a rod. The formula of the Au(I) complex is determined to be [Au(2)(PPh(3))(2)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)](+) by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry, and its crystal structure (with SbF(6)(-) counterion) reveals Au-Au bridged by -SC(2)H(4)Ph and with terminal bonds to two PPh(3) ligands. Unlike previously reported [Au(2)(PR(3))(2)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)](+) complexes in the solid state, which exist as tetranuclear complexes (i.e., dimers of [Au(2)(PR(3))(2)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)](+) units) through a Au···Au aurophilic interaction, in our case we found that the [Au(2)(PPh(3))(2)(SC(2)H(4)Ph)](+) complex exists as a single entity, rather than being dimerized to form a tetranuclear complex. The observation of this Au(I) complex allows us to gain insight into the intriguing conversion process from polydisperse Au nanoparticles to monodisperse Au(25) nanoclusters.

One-pot synthesis of near-infrared fluorescent gold clusters for cellular fluorescence lifetime imaging

A facile strategy to synthesize water-soluble fluorescent gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) stabilized with the bidentate ligand dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) is reported. The DHLA-capped Au NCs are characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Au NCs possess many attractive features including ultrasmall size, bright near-infrared luminescence, high colloidal stability, and good biocompatibility, making them promising imaging agents for biomedical and cellular imaging applications. Moreover, their long fluorescence lifetime (>100 ns) makes them attractive as labels in fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) applications. As an example, the internalization of Au NCs by live HeLa cells is visualized using the FLIM technique.

On the nature and importance of the transition between molecules and nanocrystals: towards a chemistry of "nanoscale perfection"

This paper discusses the importance of the transition between molecular compounds and nanocrystals. The boundary between molecular and nanocrystals/nanoclusters can be defined by the emergence of the bulk phase; atoms in the core of the nanoclusters that are not bound to ligands. This transition in dimensions and structural organization is important because it overlaps with the boundary between atomically defined moieties (molecules can be isolated with increasing purity) and mixtures (nanocrystals have a distribution of sizes, shapes, and defects; they cannot be easily separated into batches of structurally identical species). Passing through this boundary, as the size of a structure increases beyond a few nanometres, the information about the position of each atom gradually disappears. This loss of structural information about a chemical structure fundamentally compromises our ability to use it as a part of a complex chemical system. If we are to engineer complex functions encoded in a chemical language, we will need pure batches of atomically defined (truly monodisperse) nanoscale compounds, and we will need to understand how to make them and preserve them over a broad range of length scales, compositions, and timeframes. In this review we survey most classes of monodisperse nanomaterials (mostly nanoclusters) and highlight the recent breakthroughs in this area which might be spearheading the development of a chemistry of "nanoscale perfection".

(AuAg)144(SR)60 alloy nanomolecules

(Au-Ag)(144)(SR)(60) alloy nanomolecules were synthesized and characterized by ESI mass spectrometry to atomic precision. The number of Ag atoms can be varied by changing the incoming metal ratio and plateaus at ∼60. UV-vis data demonstrates that the electronic structure of the nanomolecules can be tuned by incorporation of silver atoms. Based on the proposed 3-shell structure of Au(144)(SR)(60), we hypothesize that the Ag atoms are selectively incorporated in to the symmetry equivalent 60-atom shell-having Au(12), Au(42), Ag(60) concentric shells with 30 -SR-Au-SR- protecting units.

Critical role of water and the structure of inverse micelles in the Brust-Schiffrin synthesis of metal nanoparticles

Although Brust-Schiffrin two-phase synthesis is a popular method for synthesizing ligand-protected metal nanoparticles with an average size of less than 5 nm, the details on how the reactions can be controlled from a mechanistic point of view are still unclear, therefore hindering efforts to synthesize monodisperse metal nanoparticles. It was recently discovered that this method is basically an inverse-micelle-based synthesis (Li, Y.; Zaluzhna, O.; Xu, B.; Gao, Y.; Modest, J. M.; Tong, Y. Y. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2011, 133, 2092). In this letter, the critical role of water and the structure of inverse micelles in typical synthesis of gold nanoparticles were further investigated. We found that (1) water encapsulated in the inverse micelles of [TOA](+) that also hosted metal ions formed a hydrophilic microenvironment that acted as a reaction-enabling proton-accepting medium for the thiol protons (RS-H) and (2) not only the presence but also the amount of water in the reaction medium has a profound effect on the Au(I) precursor species (a pure [TOA][AuX(2)] complex or a mixture of a [TOA][AuX(2)] complex and polymeric [Au(I)SR](n) species), the reduction of Au(III) by thiols, and the formation of uniform small metal nanoparticles. A quantitative analysis of the (1)H NMR of the encapsulated water enabled an estimation of the size and composition of the involved inverse micelles.

Quantum-sized gold nanoclusters: bridging the gap between organometallics and nanocrystals

This Concept article provides an elementary discussion of a special class of large-sized gold compounds, so-called Au nanoclusters, which lies in between traditional organogold compounds (e.g., few-atom complexes, <1 nm) and face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline Au nanoparticles (typically >2 nm). The discussion is focused on the relationship between them, including the evolution from the Au⋅⋅⋅Au aurophilic interaction in Au(I) complexes to the direct Au-Au bond in clusters, and the structural transformation from the fcc structure in nanocrystals to non-fcc structures in nanoclusters. Thiolate-protected Au(n)(SR)(m) nanoclusters are used as a paradigm system. Research on such nanoclusters has achieved considerable advances in recent years and is expected to flourish in the near future, which will bring about exciting progress in both fundamental scientific research and technological applications of nanoclusters of gold and other metals.

Fluorescent silver nanoclusters

Silver nanoclusters are a class of fluorophores with attractive features, including brightness, photostability and subnanometer size. In this review we overview the different scaffolds that are used as stabilizer for silver nanoclusters (e.g. polymers, dendrimers, DNA oligomers, cryogenic noble gas matrixes, inorganic glasses, zeolites and nanoparticles), and we briefly discuss the recent advances.

Identification of a source of size polydispersity and its solution in Brust-Schiffrin metal nanoparticle synthesis

The co-presence of thiol vs. disulfide in the well-known Brust-Schiffrin two-phase synthesis has been identified as a source of size polydispersity in nanoparticles synthesized and a procedure has been proposed to address this long outstanding issue.

Electrochemical sensing using quantum-sized gold nanoparticles

This paper describes the electrocatalytic activity of quantum-sized thiolate protected Au(25) nanoparticles and their use in electrochemical sensing. The Au(25) film modified electrode exhibited excellent mediated electrocatalytic activity that was utilized for amperometric sensing of biologically relevant analytes, namely, ascorbic acid and uric acid. The electron transfer dynamics in the Au(25) film was examined as a function of Au(25) concentration, which manifested the dual role of Au(25) as an electronic conductor as well as a redox mediator. The electron transfer study has further revealed the correlation between the electronic conductivity of the Au(25) film and the sensing sensitivity.

Unexpected reactivity of Au25(SCH2CH2Ph)18 nanoclusters with salts

We report some interesting results of the chemical reactivity of thiolate-protected [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](0) nanoclusters with two types of salts, including tetraoctylammonium halide (TOAX) and NaX. At the early stage of the reaction, [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](0) was found to spontaneously convert to its anionic form ([Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](-)) in the presence of either type of salt. However, a large difference was observed in the second stage of the reaction. With NaX, we observed decomposition of anionic clusters, while with TOAX, the clusters show excellent stability. We have gained some insight into the reaction mechanism. The X(-) ions seem to attack [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](q) surface and displace some thiolates, evidenced by the observation of halide-bound clusters such as Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18-x)Br(x) in mass spectrometry analysis. These halide-bound clusters show a reduced stability, and their decomposition into Au(I) complexes leads to the release of gold valence electrons of the clusters; concurrently, the non-halide-bound [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](0) clusters are reduced into [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](-). For the second stage of reaction with organic salts such as TOA-Br, after [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](0) clusters are converted to [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](-)) the TOA(+) counterions surprisingly protect the anionic clusters from further attack by halide ions, hence, TOA(+) cations can stabilize [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](-) clusters. In contrast, with NaX salts the Na(+) ions do not provide any steric stabilization of the [Au(25)(SCH(2)CH(2)Ph)(18)](-) clusters, hence, degradation occurs when being further attacked by halide ions, especially Br(-) and I(-).

Biocompatible glutathione capped gold clusters as one- and two-photon excitation fluorescence contrast agents for live cells imaging

The one- and two-photon excitation emission properties of water soluble glutathione monolayer protected gold clusters were investigated. Strong two-photon emission was observed from the gold clusters. The two-photon absorption cross section of these gold clusters in water was deduced from the z-scan measurement to be 189 740 GM, which is much higher compared to organic fluorescent dyes and quantum dots. These gold clusters also showed high photo-stability. The MTT assay showed that these gold clusters have low toxicity even at high concentrations. We have successfully demonstrated their applications for both one and two-photon excitation live cell imaging. The exceptional properties of these gold clusters make them a promising alternative for one- and two-photon bio-imaging and other nonlinear optical applications.

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence of Au nanoclusters for the detection of dopamine

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) emission was observed from the water-soluble, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized Au nanoclusters for the first time. The possible ECL mechanism was discussed according to the presented results and ascribed to the effective electron transfer from the conduction-band of excited indium tin oxide (ITO) to Au nanoclusters (NCs). A simple label-free method for the detection of dopamine has been developed based on the Au NCs ECL in aqueous media. The Au NCs could be an effective candidate for new types of ECL biosensors in the future due to their fascinating features, such as good water solubility, low toxicity, ease of labeling, and excellent stability.

On Ultrasmall Nanocrystals

Ultrasmall nanocrystals are a growing sub-class of traditional nanocrystals that exhibit new properties at diameters typically below 2 nm. In this review, we define what constitutes an ultrasmall nanoparticle while distinguishing between ultrasmall and magic-size nanoparticles. After a brief overview of ultrasmall nanoparticles, including ultrasmall gold clusters, our recent work is presented covering the optical properties, structure, and application of ultrasmall CdSe nanocrystals. This unique material has potential application in solid state lighting due to its balanced white emission. This section is followed by a discussion on the blurring boundary between what can be considered a nanoparticle and a molecule.

On the ligand's role in the fluorescence of gold nanoclusters

The fluorescence of metal nanoparticles (such as gold and silver) has long been an intriguing topic and has drawn considerable research interest. However, the origin of fluorescence still remains unclear. In this work, on the basis of atomically monodisperse, 25-atom gold nanoclusters we present some interesting results on the fluorescence from [Au(25)(SR)(18)](q) (where q is the charge state of the particle), which has shed some light on this issue. Our work explicitly shows that the surface ligands (-SR) play a major role in enhancing the fluorescence of gold nanoparticles. Specifically, the surface ligands can influence the fluorescence in two different ways: (i) charge transfer from the ligands to the metal nanoparticle core (i.e., LMNCT) through the Au-S bonds, and (ii) direct donation of delocalized electrons of electron-rich atoms or groups of the ligands to the metal core. Following these two mechanisms, we have demonstrated strategies to enhance the fluorescence of thiolate ligand-protected gold nanoparticles. This work is hoped to stimulate more experimental and theoretical research on the atomic level design of luminescent metal nanoparticles for promising optoelectronic and other applications.