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Hong S, Zhao Y, Choi S, Lee E, Yu J. Tuning the fast generation of luminescent silver nanodots on a surface. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:7916-7919. [PMID: 35730732 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc02678c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Silver nanodots, predominantly a near-IR emitter, can be instantly generated on a surface by silver cluster transfer. Kinetic trapping of ssDNA molecules on the surface limits the reorganization of the resulting silver nanodots for other silver nanodot emitters. Adjusting the freedom of the adsorbed ssDNA can tune the generation of various silver nanodots on the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjay Hong
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yanlu Zhao
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungmoon Choi
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Eunhye Lee
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Junhua Yu
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Luo D, Wang X, Zeng S, Ramamurthy G, Burda C, Basilion JP. Targeted Gold Nanocluster-Enhanced Radiotherapy of Prostate Cancer. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1900968. [PMID: 31265213 PMCID: PMC6707872 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201900968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
For over a hundred years, X-rays have been a main component of the radiotherapeutic approaches to treat cancer. Yet, to date, no radiosensitizer has been developed to selectively target prostate cancer. Gold has excellent X-ray absorptivity and is used as a radiotherapy enhancing material. In this work, ultrasmall Au25 nanoclusters (NCs) are developed for selective prostate cancer targeting, radiotherapy enhancement, and rapid clearance from the body. Targeted-Au25 NCs are rapidly and selectively taken up by prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo and also have fast renal clearance. When combined with X-ray irradiation of the targeted cancer tissues, radiotherapy is significantly enhanced. The selective targeting and rapid clearance of the nanoclusters may allow reductions in radiation dose, decreasing exposure to healthy tissue and making them highly attractive for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Luo
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xinning Wang
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Sophia Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | | | - Clemens Burda
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - James P Basilion
- Department of Radiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
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3
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Nemeth R, Neubert M, Butz ZJ, Ni TW, Ackerson CJ. Metalloid Reductase of Pseudomonas moravenis Stanleyae Conveys Nanoparticle Mediated Metalloid Tolerance. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:14902-14909. [PMID: 30533575 PMCID: PMC6275949 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A glutathione reductase (GSHR)-like enzyme in Pseudomonas moraviensis stanleyae was previously implicated as underlying the bacterium's remarkable SeO3 2- tolerance. Herein, this enzyme is sequenced, recombinantly expressed, and fully characterized. The enzyme is highly adapted for selenodiglutathione substrates (K m = 336 μM) compared to oxidized glutathione (K m = 8.22 mM). The recombinant expression of this enzyme in the laboratory strains of Escherichia coli conveys a 10-fold increase in IC90 for SeO3 2-. Moreover, selenium nanoparticles are observed when the enzyme is overexpressed in the cells exposed to SeO3 2-, but not in the corresponding no-enzyme controls. The analyses of the structural homology models of the enzyme reveal changes in the parts of the enzyme associated with product release, which may underlie the Se substrate specialization. Combined, the observations of adaptation to Se reduction over oxidized glutathione reduction as well as the portability of this nanoparticle-mediated SeO3 2- tolerance into other cell lines suggest that the P. moraviensis GSHR may be better described as a GSHR-like metalloid reductase.
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4
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Jeon SM, Choi S, Lee K, Jung HS, Yu J. Significantly improved stability of silver nanodots via nanoparticles encapsulation. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2017.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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5
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Abstract
The stability of silica nanostructure in the core-silica shell nanomaterials is critical to understanding the activity of these nanomaterials since the exposure of core materials due to the poor stability of silica may cause misinterpretation of experiments, but unfortunately reports on the stability of silica have been inconsistent. Here, we show that luminescent silver nanodots (AgNDs) can be used to monitor the stability of silica nanostructures. Though relatively stable in water and phosphate buffered saline, silica nanoparticles are eroded by biological media, leading to the exposure of AgNDs from AgND@SiO2 nanoparticles and the quenching of nanodot luminescence. Our results reveal that a synergistic effect of organic compounds, particularly the amino groups, accelerates the erosion. Our work indicates that silica nanostructures are vulnerable to cellular medium and it may be possible to tune the release of drug molecules from silica-based drug delivery vehicles through controlled erosion.
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6
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Choi S, Jeong Y, Yu J. Temperature and Viscosity Dependence of Gold Nanodot Luminescence. Eur J Inorg Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201700722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sungmoon Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Education; Seoul National University; 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu 08826 Seoul South Korea
| | - Yujin Jeong
- Department of Chemistry and Education; Seoul National University; 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu 08826 Seoul South Korea
| | - Junhua Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Education; Seoul National University; 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu 08826 Seoul South Korea
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7
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Cao F, Ju E, Liu C, Pu F, Ren J, Qu X. Coupling a DNA–ligand ensemble with Ag cluster formation for the label-free and ratiometric detection of intracellular biothiols. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 52:5167-70. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cc10606k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
A smart nanoprobe was constructed by coupling a DNA–ligand ensemble with Ag cluster formation for the ratiometric detection of intracellular biothiols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Cao
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
| | - Enguo Ju
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
| | - Chaoqun Liu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
| | - Fang Pu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
| | - Jinsong Ren
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
| | - Xiaogang Qu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resources Utilization
- Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Changchun
- China
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8
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Chattoraj S, Amin MA, Mohapatra S, Ghosh S, Bhattacharyya K. Cancer Cell Imaging Using in Situ Generated Gold Nanoclusters. Chemphyschem 2015; 17:61-8. [PMID: 26437799 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201500731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In situ generated fluorescent gold nanoclusters (Au-NCs) are used for bio-imaging of three human cancer cells, namely, lung (A549), breast (MCF7), and colon (HCT116), by confocal microscopy. The amount of Au-NCs in non-cancer cells (WI38 and MCF10A) is 20-40 times less than those in the corresponding cancer cells. The presence of a larger amount of glutathione (GSH) capped Au-NCs in the cancer cell is ascribed to a higher glutathione level in cancer cells. The Au-NCs exhibit fluorescence maxima at 490-530 nm inside the cancer cells. The fluorescence maxima and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry suggest that the fluorescent Au-NCs consist of GSH capped clusters with a core structure (Au8-13). Time-resolved confocal microscopy indicates a nanosecond (1-3 ns) lifetime of the Au-NCs inside the cells. This rules out the formation of aggregated Au-thiolate complexes, which typically exhibit microsecond (≈1000 ns) lifetimes. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) in live cells indicates that the size of the Au-NCs is ≈1-2 nm. For in situ generation, we used a conjugate consisting of a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL, [pmim][Br]) and HAuCl4. Cytotoxicity studies indicate that the conjugate, [pmim][AuCl4], is non-toxic for both cancer and non-cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyamtanu Chattoraj
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Md Asif Amin
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Saswat Mohapatra
- Organic & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Surajit Ghosh
- Organic & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India.
| | - Kankan Bhattacharyya
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India.
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9
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Hu Y, Guo W, Wei H. Protein- and Peptide-directed Approaches to Fluorescent Metal Nanoclusters. Isr J Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201400178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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10
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Chen H, Lin L, Li H, Li J, Lin JM. Aggregation-induced structure transition of protein-stabilized zinc/copper nanoclusters for amplified chemiluminescence. ACS NANO 2015; 9:2173-2183. [PMID: 25647180 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A stable, water-soluble fluorescent Zn/Cu nanocluster (NC) capped with a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was synthesized and applied to the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydrogen carbonate. A significantly amplified chemiluminescence (CL) from the accelerated decomposition of peroxymonocarbonate (HCO4(-)) by the nanosluster was observed. The CL reaction led to a structure change of BSA and aggregation of Zn/Cu NCs. In the presence of H2O2, Zn/Cu-S bonding between BSA scaffolds and the encapsulated Zn/Cu@BSA NC was oxidized to form a disulfide product. Zn/Cu@BSA NCs were prone to aggregate to form larger nanoparticles without the protection of scaffolds. It is revealed that the strong CL emission was initiated from the catalysis of Zn/Cu@BSA NC and the surface plasmon coupling of the formed Zn/Cu nanoparticles in a single chemical reaction. This amplified CL was successfully exploited for selective sensing of hydrogen peroxide in environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Beijing Forestry University , Beijing, 100083, China
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11
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Roy S, Baral A, Bhattacharjee R, Jana B, Datta A, Ghosh S, Banerjee A. Preparation of multi-coloured different sized fluorescent gold clusters from blue to NIR, structural analysis of the blue emitting Au7 cluster, and cell-imaging by the NIR gold cluster. NANOSCALE 2015; 7:1912-1920. [PMID: 25529745 DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04338c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Blue, green, orange-red, red and NIR emitting gold quantum clusters have been prepared in aqueous media by using a bioactive peptide glutathione (reduced) at physiological pH. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses show that the core structure sizes of the five different gold clusters are Au7 (blue), Au16 (green), Au19 (orange-red), Au21 (red) and Au22 (NIR). The photo-stability and pH-stability of these quantum clusters have been measured, and these are photo-stable against continuous UV irradiation for a few hours. They also exhibit moderate to good pH-stability within the pH range of 5-12.5. A computational study reveals the organisation of gold atoms in the thiolate-protected blue quantum cluster and its several structural parameters, including the mode of interaction of ligand molecules with Au atoms in the Au7 cluster. Interestingly, it has been found that NIR emitting gold quantum cluster can easily be internalized into the adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cell line (A549 cell line). Moreover, a MTT assay indicates that our NIR emitting gold quantum cluster show very low cytotoxicy to A549 cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasish Roy
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India.
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12
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Zheng K, Yuan X, Goswami N, Zhang Q, Xie J. Recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and biomedical applications of ultrasmall thiolated silver nanoclusters. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra12054j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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13
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Choi S, Park S, Lee K, Yu J. Oxidant-resistant imaging and ratiometric luminescence detection by selective oxidation of silver nanodots. Chem Commun (Camb) 2014; 49:10908-10. [PMID: 24064503 DOI: 10.1039/c3cc45601c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species selectively accelerated transitions between various silver nanodots. The blue was developed as an oxidant-resistant imaging agent and analyte reporter. In addition to the spectral response of nanodots to ROS, silver nanodots were formulated to detect analytes with excellent selectivity and picomolar detection limit when coupled to glucose oxidase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungmoon Choi
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-Ro, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea.
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14
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Park S, Choi S, Yu J. DNA-encapsulated silver nanodots as ratiometric luminescent probes for hypochlorite detection. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2014; 9:129. [PMID: 24646192 PMCID: PMC3995083 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276x-9-129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED DNA-encapsulated silver nanodots are noteworthy candidates for bio-imaging probes, thanks to their excellent photophysical properties. The spectral shift of silver nanodot emitters from red to blue shows excellent correlations with the concentration of reactive oxygen species, which makes it possible to develop new types of probes for reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl), given the outstanding stability of the blue in oxidizing environments. HOCl plays a role as a microbicide in immune systems but, on the other hand, is regarded as a disease contributor. Moreover, it is a common ingredient in household cleaners. There are still great demands to detect HOCl fluxes and their physiological pathways. We introduce a new ratiometric luminescence imaging method based on silver nanodots to sensitively detect hypochlorite. The factors that influence the accuracy of the detection are investigated. Its availability has also been demonstrated by detecting the active component in cleaners. PACS 82; 82.30.Nr; 82.50.-m.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soonyoung Park
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
| | - Sungmoon Choi
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
| | - Junhua Yu
- Department of Chemistry Education, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
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15
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Ganguly M, Pal J, Das S, Mondal C, Pal A, Negishi Y, Pal T. Green synthesis and reversible dispersion of a giant fluorescent cluster in solid and liquid phase. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2013; 29:10945-10958. [PMID: 23906499 DOI: 10.1021/la402440z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A water-soluble highly fluorescent silver cluster on Au(I) surface has been synthesized with green chemistry under sunlight. The evolution of the silver cluster is synergistic, demanding gold and glutathione. The fluorescent Au(I)core-Ag(0)shell particles are huge in size and at the same time they are robust. That is why they become a deliverable fluorescing solid upon drying. Again, the giant particles run into common water miscible solvents. As a result, the fluorescence intensity increases to a great extent without any alteration of emission maxima. In this respect, acetone has been found to be the best-suited solvent. To have a universal applicability of the fluorescent clusters, the particles in the water pool of a reverse micelle have been prepared to transfer the particles into different water immiscible solvents. The comparatively lower fluorescence intensity of the particles has been ascribed to a space confinement effect. Finally, giant-cluster-impregnated yellow-orange fluorescent polymer film and fluorescent cotton wool, as well as paper substrate, have been prepared. The antibacterial activity of the fluorescent particle has also been tested involving modified cotton wool and paper substrate for Gram-negative and -positive Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainak Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721302, India
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16
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Li W, Liu L, Fu Y, Sun Y, Zhang J, Zhang R. Effects of polymorphic DNA on the fluorescent properties of silver nanoclusters. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2013; 12:1864-72. [DOI: 10.1039/c3pp50026h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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17
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Luo Z, Yuan X, Yu Y, Zhang Q, Leong DT, Lee JY, Xie J. From Aggregation-Induced Emission of Au(I)–Thiolate Complexes to Ultrabright Au(0)@Au(I)–Thiolate Core–Shell Nanoclusters. J Am Chem Soc 2012; 134:16662-70. [DOI: 10.1021/ja306199p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1117] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhentao Luo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
| | - Xun Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
| | - Qingbo Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, United
States
| | - David Tai Leong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
| | - Jim Yang Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
| | - Jianping Xie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260
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Xavier PL, Chaudhari K, Baksi A, Pradeep T. Protein-protected luminescent noble metal quantum clusters: an emerging trend in atomic cluster nanoscience. NANO REVIEWS 2012; 3:NANO-3-14767. [PMID: 22312454 PMCID: PMC3272820 DOI: 10.3402/nano.v3i0.14767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 12/26/2011] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Noble metal quantum clusters (NMQCs) are the missing link between isolated noble metal atoms and nanoparticles. NMQCs are sub-nanometer core sized clusters composed of a group of atoms, most often luminescent in the visible region, and possess intriguing photo-physical and chemical properties. A trend is observed in the use of ligands, ranging from phosphines to functional proteins, for the synthesis of NMQCs in the liquid phase. In this review, we briefly overview recent advancements in the synthesis of protein protected NMQCs with special emphasis on their structural and photo-physical properties. In view of the protein protection, coupled with direct synthesis and easy functionalization, this hybrid QC-protein system is expected to have numerous optical and bioimaging applications in the future, pointers in this direction are visible in the literature.
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