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Chiral Molecule-Embedded Au@Ag Core-Shell Decahedrons with Enhanced Circular Dichroism
Changsheng Feng1, Yu Tian2,3, Lifang Zheng1
1State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|July 22, 2025
Summary
Chiral plasmonic nanostructures enhance circular dichroism (CD) signals. Researchers developed Au@Ag core-shell decahedrons using cysteine, achieving significant CD enhancement for chiral molecules and biosensing applications.
Area of Science:
- Plasmonics
- Nanotechnology
- Chiroptical Spectroscopy
Background:
- Chiral plasmonic nanostructures amplify circular dichroism (CD) of chiral molecules via plasmon coupling.
- Understanding nanostructure parameters and CD origins is crucial for effective enhancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize Au@Ag core-shell decahedrons for enhanced CD activity.
- To investigate the role of nanostructure parameters and cysteine in CD response.
- To explore applications in chiral signal amplification and biosensing.
Main Methods:
- Seed-mediated growth of Au@Ag core-shell decahedrons using concave Au nanocrystals and cysteine.
- Characterization of nanostructures and their CD properties.
- Analysis of cysteine's role in inducing CD activity.
Main Results:
- Synthesized discrete Au@Ag core-shell decahedrons with strong CD response.
- Achieved a maximum Kuhn's dissymmetry factor (g) of 5.8 × 10⁻³ and CD enhancement over 2000.
- Demonstrated that embedded cysteine is key to inducing and stabilizing CD activity.
Conclusions:
- Chiral cysteine in the Ag shell is critical for CD induction and stability.
- The developed nanostructures offer significant CD enhancement for chiral molecules.
- Findings guide the design of plasmonic CD systems for amplified chiral sensing.
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