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Updated: Jun 30, 2026
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Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Structurally Well-Defined Water-Soluble Gold Nanoclusters from Esterified Precursors and Their Photothermal
Yu-Jie Cong1, Xu-Shuang Han1, Zhen-Chao Long1
1Department of Chemistry, Engineering Research Center of Advanced Rare Earth Materials (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to synthesize well-defined water-soluble gold nanoclusters from esterified precursors. This approach provides a viable route to understand gold nanocluster structure-property relationships without relying on indirect models.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemistry
Background:
- Determining the structures of water-soluble metal nanoclusters is challenging due to crystallization difficulties in aqueous media.
- Existing methods often rely on indirect models, complicating the understanding of structure-property relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile method for synthesizing water-soluble gold nanoclusters with well-defined structures.
- To establish a generalizable strategy for studying water-soluble gold nanoclusters, reducing reliance on indirect structural models.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of oil-soluble gold nanoclusters [C19H18N3][Au25(3-MeOOCC6H4C2)18] (Au25-COOMe) using 3-methoxycarbonyl phenylacetylide as a protecting ligand.
- Structure determination of Au25-COOMe using single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
- Conversion of oil-soluble Au25-COOMe to water-soluble Au25-COONa via mild alkaline hydrolysis.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized well-defined oil-soluble gold nanoclusters (Au25-COOMe).
- Determined the precise structure of Au25-COOMe using single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
- Achieved high yield (>90%) conversion to water-soluble Au25-COONa, preserving the Au25 metal core and superatomic electronic structure.
- Demonstrated that the photothermal performance of Au25-COOMe is retained in the water-soluble Au25-COONa.
Conclusions:
- A facile and generalizable strategy for synthesizing well-defined water-soluble gold nanoclusters has been developed.
- This method overcomes the challenges of crystallization in aqueous media and reduces the need for indirect structural models.
- The synthesized water-soluble gold nanoclusters maintain efficient photothermal performance, opening avenues for applications in aqueous environments.
