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Updated: Sep 27, 2025
Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Surfactant-free synthesis of fluorescent platinum nanoclusters using HEPES buffer for hypochlorous acid sensing and
Xiaoying Wang1, Yusong Wang2, Liping Yin2
1Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University Wuhu 241002 P. R. China qzhang@ahnu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
A surfactant-free synthesis of noble-metal nanoclusters (NMNCs) with specific function has recently remained more attractive and superior in bio-applications. Herein, by employing the weak reducibility of non-toxic HEPES, we prepared novel water-soluble fluorescent HEPES@Pt NCs by a simple surfactant-free synthesis strategy for hypochlorous acid (HClO) sensing. The as-prepared Pt NCs featured ultra-small size (∼2 nm), bright blue fluorescence, high stability and biocompatibility, and the fluorescence of the Pt NC nanoprobe can be specifically quenched with hypochlorous acid by a static quenching process. Moreover, the surfactant-free Pt NC probe displays fascinating performances for HClO sensing, including fast response to HClO, high stability and specificity, and is further applied for imaging the fluctuations of the HClO concentration in living cells with satisfactory results for the first time. Thereby, we anticipate that it is a reliable and attractive approach to develop versatile NMNCs through the surfactant-free synthesis for further applications in biological research.
