Application-Driven Modular Design of Gold Nanoclusters for In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Materials Science

Background:

• Atomically precise gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) possess unique optical and biological properties for in vivo imaging.
• Existing reviews lack direct correlations between AuNC structural design and specific imaging demands.
• Conventional fluorescent probes face limitations in biosafety, tissue penetration, and signal-to-background ratio.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish direct correlations between AuNC structural design and specific in vivo imaging demands.
• To adopt an application-driven reverse design logic for developing AuNC probes.
• To bridge the gap between material-oriented research and clinical translation of AuNCs.

Main Methods:

• Translating disease-specific physiological constraints and imaging requirements into modular structural configurations (metallic core, surface chemistry, assembly structure).
• Analyzing representative in vivo scenarios to extract universal design principles.
• Discussing coupling effects and trade-offs among the three structural modules.

Main Results:

• Identified key structural design principles for high-performance AuNC probes.
• Demonstrated the modularity of AuNC design for tailoring to biological environments.
• Highlighted the coupling effects and trade-offs among core, surface, and assembly structures.

Conclusions:

• The reverse design framework provides theoretical insights and actionable strategies for developing advanced AuNC probes.
• AuNCs are highly promising for in vivo fluorescence imaging, offering advantages over conventional probes.
• This approach facilitates the development of AuNCs for complex biological environments and clinical applications.