Luminescent gold nanoclusters for bioimaging applications

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Luminescent nanomaterials are crucial for sensing, catalysis, and bioimaging.
• Semiconductor quantum dots have limitations including toxicity and oxidation susceptibility.
• Atomically precise gold nanoclusters offer a low-toxicity alternative with tunable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications of luminescent gold nanoclusters in bioimaging and biosensing.
• To highlight the advantages of gold nanoclusters over traditional semiconductor quantum dots.
• To discuss current limitations and provide examples of their use.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies utilizing luminescent gold nanoclusters.
• Analysis of properties such as photoluminescence, quantum yield, and photostability.
• Examination of applications in pathogen sensing, in vitro, and in vivo bioimaging.

Main Results:

• Gold nanoclusters exhibit low toxicity, bioavailability, and excellent photostability.
• Their size, composition, and optoelectronic properties are tunable for specific applications.
• Demonstrated success in pathogen sensing and various bioimaging modalities.

Conclusions:

• Luminescent gold nanoclusters are highly promising for advanced bioimaging and biosensing.
• They overcome key limitations associated with semiconductor quantum dots.
• Further research is needed to address existing challenges and expand applications.