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Updated: Nov 1, 2025
Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Modular engineering of gold-silver nanocluster supermolecular structure endow strong electrochemiluminescence for
Ying Zhou1, Yuzhu Zheng1, Xiaochun Zhu1
1Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, PR China.
Abstract:
Here, the gold-silver nanocluster supramolecular network (AuAg NCs) is synthesized by the assembly of Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) and Ag NCs via host-guest complexation between 6-aza-2-thiothymine as the stabilizer of Au NCs and L-arginine as the stabilizer of Ag NCs in solution, whose electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission is not only exceptionally stronger than that of discrete monometallic NCs, but also more significant than that of agminated monometallic NCs. The dramatically enhanced ECL emission of self-assembled AuAg NCs originates from the synergistic effect of aggregation-induced enhancement and silver effect in gold catalysis. As a proof of concept, the self-assembled AuAg NCs is successfully applied in the ultrasensitive detection of breast cancer biomarker microRNAs-21 (miR-21), which guides a new pathway for creating high-quality nano-optical elements in chemical sensors, biological imaging, and lightemitting devices.
