Nucleation-Controlled Approach to Synthesize Sub-2 nm Water-Soluble Purine-Modified Green-Fluorescent Gold...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) are limited by size and water-solubility.
• Existing Au NCs often lack stability in biological environments.
• Purine modification offers potential for improved Au NC properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize stable, water-soluble purine-modified gold nanoclusters (Au NCs).
• To investigate the impact of purine modification on Au NC stability and fluorescence.
• To explore the potential of these Au NCs in bioimaging and biosensor applications.

Main Methods:

• Modified Brust-Schiffrin synthesis with controlled nucleation.
• Characterization of Au NC size (1.4 ± 0.34 nm) and properties.
• Assessment of stability in various salt concentrations and pH environments.

Main Results:

• Synthesized stable, green-fluorescent, water-soluble Au NCs.
• Achieved high chemical stability in neutral to basic conditions and salt solutions.
• Demonstrated enhanced fluorescence emission intensity due to purine modification and efficient monolayer packing.

Conclusions:

• The developed synthesis protocol yields stable, highly fluorescent Au NCs.
• Purine modification enhances Au NC stability and water-solubility, overcoming previous limitations.
• These functionalized Au NCs are promising for bio-related nanotechnology, including bioimaging and biosensors.