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Luminophore Formation in Various Conformations of Bovine Serum Albumin by Binding of GoldIII
Published on: August 31, 2018
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Silver nanoclusters emitting weak NIR fluorescence biomineralized by BSA
Baoshun Li1, Jianjun Li1, Junwu Zhao1
1The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Summary
Researchers synthesized stable silver nanoclusters using bovine serum albumin biomineralization. These nanoclusters exhibit unique near-infrared fluorescence and upconversion properties, enhancing protein absorption.
Area of Science:
- Nanomaterials Science
- Biomineralization
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Noble metal nanomaterials, including gold and silver, exhibit distinctive physical and chemical characteristics.
- Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a protein with potential applications in biomineralization processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize silver nanoclusters using BSA biomineralization.
- To characterize the optical and structural properties of the synthesized silver nanoclusters.
- To investigate the interaction of silver nanoclusters with proteins.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of silver nanoclusters via BSA biomineralization.
- Characterization using UV-VIS absorption, fluorescence, upconversion emission spectroscopy, TEM, HRTEM, and FTIR.
- Analysis of optical properties, including excitation and emission wavelengths, and spectral shifts.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized silver nanoclusters with an average size of 2.23 nm.
- Observed near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence (emission ~765 nm) with UV excitation (~395 nm), showing a large spectral gap (370 nm).
- Demonstrated upconversion emission properties and high stability in aqueous solution, potentially due to confinement within BSA molecules.
- Found that silver nanoclusters enhance and broaden protein absorption, causing a 7 nm red shift.
Conclusions:
- BSA biomineralization is an effective method for creating stable silver nanoclusters.
- The synthesized silver nanoclusters possess unique optical properties, including NIR fluorescence and upconversion.
- These nanoclusters show potential for applications in enhancing protein absorption and related biological studies.
