Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, Volume. 13, Issue 5, 2041001(2020)

Ultrabright bimetallic AuAg complex: From luminescence mechanism to biological application

Junchi Chen, Lingfang Liu, Haile Liu, Yonghui Li, Junying Wang, Xiaoyu Mu, Fujuan Xu, Tianyu Liu, and Xiao-Dong Zhang
Author Affiliations
  • Department of Physics and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology School of Sciences, Tianjin University Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
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    Metal clusters have attracted wide interests due to their unique electronic and optical properties, but the low luminescence quantum yield (QY) prevents them from potential biomedical applications. In this work, silver-doped Au nanoclusters (NCs) are shown to be able to improve the QY of metal clusters.We succeeded in synthesizing ultrabright glutathione (GSH) protected AuAg clusters with 10.8% QY by a one-pot route. Their florescence is about 7.5 times brighter than pure Au NCs, with super photostability and good biocompatibility in physiological environment. Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigated the electronic structures and optical properties of the AuAg NCs. The results show that the increase of the density of states of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) leads to the fluorescence enhancement. In addition, two-photon excitation fluorescence imaging has been performed to show their great potential for biomedicine.

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    Junchi Chen, Lingfang Liu, Haile Liu, Yonghui Li, Junying Wang, Xiaoyu Mu, Fujuan Xu, Tianyu Liu, Xiao-Dong Zhang. Ultrabright bimetallic AuAg complex: From luminescence mechanism to biological application[J]. Journal of Innovative Optical Health Sciences, 2020, 13(5): 2041001

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    Paper Information

    Received: Feb. 18, 2020

    Accepted: Apr. 10, 2020

    Published Online: Oct. 29, 2020

    The Author Email:

    DOI:10.1142/s1793545820410011

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