Superfluorinated and NIR-luminescent gold nanoclusters.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Gold nanoclusters are emerging nanomaterials with unique optical and electronic properties.
• Fluorinated compounds offer distinct advantages in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
• Multimodal imaging platforms enhance diagnostic accuracy and provide complementary information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel class of superfluorinated gold nanoclusters.
• To investigate the near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence and ¹⁹F NMR properties of these nanoclusters.
• To evaluate the potential of these nanoclusters as a multimodal platform for bioimaging.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of gold nanoclusters using a branched thiol with 27 fluorine-19 (¹⁹F) atoms per molecule.
• Characterization of nanocluster properties, including optical spectroscopy (NIR photoluminescence) and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy.
• Assessment of the combined photoluminescence and NMR capabilities for potential bioimaging applications.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained a novel class of superfluorinated gold nanoclusters.
• Demonstrated simultaneous NIR photoluminescence and ¹⁹F NMR signals from the nanoclusters.
• The synthesized nanoclusters exhibit unique properties suitable for multimodal applications.

Conclusions:

• A novel class of superfluorinated gold nanoclusters with dual NIR photoluminescence and ¹⁹F NMR properties has been developed.
• These nanoclusters represent a promising multimodal platform for advanced bioimaging.
• The unique combination of properties opens new avenues for in vivo imaging and diagnostics.