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Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
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Diving into Unknown Waters: Water-Soluble Clickable Au13 Nanoclusters Protected with N-Heterocyclic Carbenes for
Angus I Sullivan1,2, Emily A Steele1,2, Shinjiro Takano2,3
1Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, Chernoff Hall, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 22, 2025
Summary
New N-heterocyclic carbene-protected gold nanoclusters offer high water solubility and stability for biomedical uses. These luminescent clusters show promise in biological settings with no observed toxicity in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Gold nanoclusters are increasingly used in biomedical applications.
- Water solubility and in vivo stability are critical challenges for gold nanoclusters.
- Existing water-soluble gold nanoclusters often face isolation difficulties and degradation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel, water-soluble, and stable atomically precise gold nanoclusters for biomedical applications.
- To investigate the stability and properties of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-protected gold nanoclusters.
- To assess the in vivo safety and potential applications of these functionalized nanoclusters.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and isolation of NHC-protected gold nanoclusters functionalized with triethylene glycol monomethyl ether.
- Characterization of nanocluster luminescence, water solubility, and stability in biological media.
- In vivo studies in mice to evaluate biocompatibility and biodistribution.
- Functionalization of nanocluster wingtip groups with azide for further conjugation.
Main Results:
- Achieved highly luminescent and water-soluble gold nanoclusters with retained core structure and high quantum yield after modification.
- Demonstrated high stability in simulated biofluids and resistance to glutathione attack.
- In vivo studies showed no adverse cellular effects in major organs (kidney, liver, spleen) in mice.
- Identified a blood elimination half-life of 0.68 h for a specific nanocluster formulation.
- Successfully functionalized nanoclusters with azide groups, enabling further bioconjugation.
Conclusions:
- NHC-protected gold nanoclusters represent a promising platform for biomedical applications due to their enhanced water solubility, stability, and biocompatibility.
- The demonstrated functionalization capability highlights their potential for targeted drug delivery and bioimaging.
- These nanoclusters overcome key limitations of previous gold nanocluster systems for in vivo use.
