1
|
Bhunia S, Mukherjee M, Purkayastha P. Fluorescent metal nanoclusters: prospects for photoinduced electron transfer and energy harvesting. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:3370-3378. [PMID: 38444358 DOI: 10.1039/d4cc00021h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Research on noble metal nanoclusters (MNCs) (elements with filled electron d-bands) is progressing forward because of the extensive and extraordinary chemical, optical, and physical properties of these materials. Because of the ultrasmall size of the MNCs (typically within 1-3 nm), they can be applied in areas of nearly all possible scientific domains. The greatest advantage of MNCs is the tunability that can be imposed, not only on their structures, but also on their chemical, physical, and biological properties. Nowadays, MNCs are very effectively used as energy donors and acceptors under suitable conditions and hence act as energy harvesters in solar cells, semiconductors, and biomarkers. In addition, ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer (PET) can be practised using MNCs under various circumstances. Herein, we have focused on the energy harvesting phenomena of Au-, Ag-, and Cu-based MNCs and elaborated on different ways to apply them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soumyadip Bhunia
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel.
| | - Manish Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 251 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Pradipta Purkayastha
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Centre for Advanced Functional Materials, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur 741246, WB, India.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Qingqing X, Ruiyi L, Zaijun L. Designing of multifunctional graphene quantum dot-polyvinyl alcohol-polyglycerol luminescent film for fluorescence detection of pH in sweat. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1292:342224. [PMID: 38309845 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.342224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wound infection, skin disease, renal failure, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and other pathologies may induce obvious pH changes in sweat. Thus, tracking skin pH changes can help monitor human health in a convenient manner. Owing to their biocompatibility, easy preparation, and sensitive response to pH changes, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have received increased attention in the optical detection of pH changes. However, their poor luminescent efficiency under visible light excitation and lack of functional diversification limit their application in skin pH monitoring. Therefore, the development of GQDs with excellent ultraviolet protection ability and antibacterial and luminescence performance is essential. RESULTS Folic acid-, histidine-, and serine-functionalized boron-doped graphene quantum dots (FHSB-GQDs) were designed and synthesized via thermal treatment. The resulting FHSB-GQDs exhibit strong yellow fluorescence emission under excitation with 490-nm visible light and sensitive pH responsiveness. The peak fluorescence intensity linearly decreases with increasing pH from 4 to 9. Furthermore, the FHSB-GQDs were integrated with polyvinyl alcohol and polyglycerol to form a luminescent film via hydrogen bond interactions. The film exhibits high transparency, mechanical flexibility, ultraviolet protection ability, and antibacterial activity. The presence of polyvinyl alcohol and polyglycerol restricts the free movement of the FHSB-GQDs and improves fluorescence behavior. The film was successfully applied in an intelligent pH-sensing system for monitoring pH changes in human sweat. SIGNIFICANCE The graphene quantum dot-polyvinyl alcohol-polyglycerol luminescent film offers excellent transparency, mechanical flexibility, ultraviolet protection ability, antibacterial activity, and luminescence performance. It was successfully applied in an intelligent pH sensing system for the detection of pH changes in human sweat. This study provides a new strategy for the design and construction of wearable sensing systems for health monitoring, facial masks, and medical dressings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xie Qingqing
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, School of Life Science and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Li Ruiyi
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, School of Life Science and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Li Zaijun
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, School of Life Science and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ghosh S, Lai JY. Recent advances in the design of intracellular pH sensing nanoprobes based on organic and inorganic materials. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:117089. [PMID: 37683789 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
In the biological system, the intracellular pH (pHi) plays an important role in regulating diverse physiological activities, including enzymatic action, ion transport, cell proliferation, metabolism, and programmed cell death. The monitoring of pH inside living cells is also crucial for studying cellular events such as phagocytosis, endocytosis, and receptor-ligand internalization. Furthermore, some organelles, viz., endosomes and lysosomes, have intracompartmental pH, which is critical for maintaining the stability of protein structure and function. The dysfunction and abnormal pH regulation can result in terminal diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer, and so forth. Therefore, the accuracy of intracellular pH measurement is always the top priority and demands cutting-edge research and analysis. Such techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging, preferably use nanotechnology due to their remarkable advantages, such as a non-invasive approach and providing accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility. In the past decades, there have been numerous attempts to design and construct non-invasive organic and inorganic materials-based nanoprobes for pHi sensing. For Raman-based techniques, metal nanostructures such as Au/Ag/Cu nanoparticles are utilized to enhance the signal intensity. As for the fluorescence-based studies, the organic-based small molecules, such as dyes, show higher sensitivity toward pH. However, they possess several drawbacks, including high photobleaching rate, and autofluorescence background signals. To this end, there are alternative nanomaterials proposed, including semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), carbon QDs, upconversion nanoparticles, and so forth. Moreover, the fluorescence technique allows for ratiometric measurement of pHi, which as a result, offers a reliable calibration curve. This timely review will critically examine the current progression in the existing nanoprobes. In addition, based on our knowledge and available research findings, we provide a brief future outlook that may advance the state-of-the-art methodologies for pHi sensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandip Ghosh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Yang Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 33302, Taiwan; Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan; Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, 24301, Taiwan; Research Center for Chinese Herbal Medicine, College of Human Ecology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan, 33303, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhao J, Ziarati A, Rosspeintner A, Wang Y, Bürgi T. Engineering ligand chemistry on Au 25 nanoclusters: from unique ligand addition to precisely controllable ligand exchange. Chem Sci 2023; 14:7665-7674. [PMID: 37476726 PMCID: PMC10355100 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc01177a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Au25 nanoclusters (NCs) protected by 18 thiol-ligands (Au25SR18, SR is a thiolate ligand) are the prototype of atomically precise thiolate-protected gold NCs. Studies concerning the alteration of the number of surface ligands for a given Au25SR18 NC are scarce. Herein we report the conversion of hydrophobic Au25PET18 (PET = 2-phenylethylthiolate) NCs to Au25SR19 [Au25PET18(metal complex)1] induced by ligand exchange reactions (LERs) with thiolated terpyridine-metal complexes (metal complex, metal = Ru, Fe, Co, Ni) under mild conditions (room temperature and low amounts of incoming ligands). Interestingly, we found that the ligand addition reaction on Au25PET18 NCs is metal dependent. Ru and Co complexes preferentially lead to the formation of Au25SR19 whereas Fe and Ni complexes favor ligand exchange reactions. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS) was used to determine the molecular formula of Au25SR19 NCs. The photophysical properties of Au25PET18(Ru complex)1 are distinctly different from Au25PET18. The absorption spectrum is drastically changed upon addition of the extra ligand and the photoluminescence quantum yield of Au25PET18(Ru complex)1 is 14 times and 3 times higher than that of pristine Au25PET18 and Au25PET17(Ru complex)1, respectively. Interestingly, only one surface ligand (PET) could be substituted by the metal complex when neutral Au25PET18 was used for ligand exchange whereas two ligands could be exchanged when starting with negatively charged Au25PET18. This charge dependence provides a strategy to precisely control the number of exchanged ligands at the surface of NCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangtao Zhao
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Abolfazl Ziarati
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Arnulf Rosspeintner
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Yanan Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan Ann Arbor 2800 MI USA
| | - Thomas Bürgi
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pyo K, Matus MF, Hulkko E, Myllyperkiö P, Malola S, Kumpulainen T, Häkkinen H, Pettersson M. Atomistic View of the Energy Transfer in a Fluorophore-Functionalized Gold Nanocluster. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37377151 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c02292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the dynamics of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in fluorophore-functionalized nanomaterials is critical for developing and utilizing such materials in biomedical imaging and optical sensing applications. However, structural dynamics of noncovalently bound systems have a significant effect on the FRET properties affecting their applications in solutions. Here, we study the dynamics of the FRET in atomistic detail by disclosing the structural dynamics of the noncovalently bound azadioxotriangulenium dye (KU) and atomically precise gold nanocluster (Au25(p-MBA)18, p-MBA = para-mercaptobenzoic acid) with a combination of experimental and computational methods. Two distinct subpopulations involved in the energy transfer process between the KU dye and the Au25(p-MBA)18 nanoclusters were resolved by time-resolved fluorescence experiments. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that KU is bound to the surface of Au25(p-MBA)18 by interacting with the p-MBA ligands as a monomer and as a π-π stacked dimer where the center-to-center distance of the monomers to Au25(p-MBA)18 is separated by ∼0.2 nm, thus explaining the experimental observations. The ratio of the observed energy transfer rates was in reasonably good agreement with the well-known 1/R6 distance dependence for FRET. This work discloses the structural dynamics of the noncovalently bound nanocluster-based system in water solution, providing new insight into the dynamics and energy transfer mechanism of the fluorophore-functionalized gold nanocluster at an atomistic level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyunglim Pyo
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - María Francisca Matus
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Eero Hulkko
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Pasi Myllyperkiö
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Sami Malola
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Tatu Kumpulainen
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Hannu Häkkinen
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Physics, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| | - Mika Pettersson
- Nanoscience Center, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 35, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä FI-40014, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pyo K, Matus MF, Malola S, Hulkko E, Alaranta J, Lahtinen T, Häkkinen H, Pettersson M. Tailoring the interaction between a gold nanocluster and a fluorescent dye by cluster size: creating a toolbox of range-adjustable pH sensors. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2022; 4:4579-4588. [PMID: 36425249 PMCID: PMC9606730 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00487a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We present a novel strategy for tailoring the fluorescent azadioxatriangulenium (KU) dye-based pH sensor to the target pH range by regulating the pK a value of the gold nanoclusters. Based on the correlation between the pK a and surface curvature of ligand-protected nanoparticles, the pK a value of the gold nanoclusters was controlled by size. In particular, three different-sized para-mercaptobenzoic acid (p-MBA) protected gold nanoclusters, Au25(p-MBA)18, Au102(p-MBA)44, and Au210-230(p-MBA)70-80 were used as the regulator for the pH range of the KU response. The negatively charged gold nanoclusters enabled the positively charged KU to bind to the surface, forming a complex and quenching the fluorescence of the KU by the energy transfer process. The fluorescence was restored after adjusting the surface charge of the gold nanocluster by controlling the solution pH. In addition, the KU exhibited a significantly different pH response behaviour for each gold nanocluster. Au210-230(p-MBA)70-80 showed a higher pH response range than Au102(p-MBA)44, which was intuitive. However, Au25(p-MBA)18 showed an unexpectedly high pH response behaviour. pK a titration measurement, molecular dynamics simulations, and essential dynamics analysis showed that small nanoclusters do not follow the scaling between the curvature and the pK a value. Instead, the behaviour is governed by the distribution and interaction of p-MBA ligands on the nanocluster surface. This work presents an effective design strategy for fabricating a range adjustable pH sensor by understanding the protonation behaviour of the ultrasmall gold nanoclusters in an atomic range.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyunglim Pyo
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - María Francisca Matus
- Department of Physics, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Sami Malola
- Department of Physics, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Eero Hulkko
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Johanna Alaranta
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Tanja Lahtinen
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Hannu Häkkinen
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
- Department of Physics, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| | - Mika Pettersson
- Department of Chemistry, Nanoscience Centre, University of Jyväskylä P. O. Box 35 FI-40014 Finland
| |
Collapse
|