Self-Templated Assembly of AuI /AgI -Thiolate Sheets with Central Holes

The first solid-state route to luminescent Au(I)-glutathionate and its pH-controlled transformation into ultrasmall oligomeric Au10-12(SG)10-12 nanoclusters for application in cancer radiotheraphy

There is still a need for synthetic approaches that are much faster, easier to scale up, more robust and efficient for generating gold(I)-thiolates that can be easily converted into gold-thiolate nanoclusters. Mechanochemical methods can offer significantly reduced reaction times, increased yields and straightforward recovery of the product, compared to the solution-based reactions. For the first time, a new simple, rapid and efficient mechanochemical redox method in a ball-mill was developed to produce the highly luminescent, pH-responsive Au(I)-glutathionate, [Au(SG)]n. The efficient productivity of the mechanochemical redox reaction afforded orange luminescent [Au(SG)]n in isolable amounts (mg scale), usually not achieved by more conventional methods in solution. Then, ultrasmall oligomeric Au10-12(SG)10-12 nanoclusters were prepared by pH-triggered dissociation of [Au(SG)]n. The pH-stimulated dissociation of the Au(I)-glutathionate complex provides a time-efficient synthesis of oligomeric Au10-12(SG)10-12 nanoclusters, it avoids high-temperature heating or the addition of harmful reducing agent (e.g., carbon monoxide). Therefore, we present herein a new and eco-friendly methodology to access oligomeric glutathione-based gold nanoclusters, already finding applications in biomedical field as efficient radiosensitizers in cancer radiotherapy.

Facile Synthetic Route To Prepare Ultrathin Silver Nanosheets by Reducing Silver Thiolates in Interlayer Surface of Layered Double Hydroxides

Silver metal nanostructures have gained much interest, due to their utility in various fields, based on their unique properties at nanosize. Tremendous research efforts have been made to establish synthetic methods to manipulate their shape and size. The most challenging synthesis in silver nanostructures has been known as a plate-like shape having a few nanometers size thickness and high aspect ratio. Here, we demonstrate a novel and facile synthetic route for ultrathin (≤1 nm) silver nanosheets using silver carboxylthiolate as precursor. Such silver thiolate formed single-layered colloid in aqueous basic solution, due to the electrostatic repulsion between carboxylate groups. These single layers of silver thiolates were stabilized within the interlayer space of layered double hydroxide (LDH). When silver thiolates confined in LDHs were calcined under reductive atmosphere, the LDHs effectively suppressed the vertical growth of silver crystals.