Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260.
ACS Nano. 2011 Nov 22;5(11):8800-8. doi: 10.1021/nn202860s. Epub 2011 Oct 25.
This paper reports a simple and scalable method for the synthesis of highly fluorescent Ag, Au, Pt, and Cu nanoclusters (NCs) based on a mild etching environment made possible by phase transfer via electrostatic interactions. Using Ag as a model metal, a simple and fast (total synthesis time < 3 h) phase transfer cycle (aqueous → organic (2 h incubation) → aqueous) has been developed to process originally polydisperse, nonfluorescent, and unstable Ag NCs into monodisperse, highly fluorescent, and extremely stable Ag NCs in the same phase (aqueous) and protected by the same thiol ligand. The synthetic protocol was successfully extended to fabricate highly fluorescent Ag NCs protected by custom-designed peptides with desired functionalities (e.g., carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amine). The facile synthetic method developed in this study should largely contribute to the practical applications of this new class of fluorescence probes.
本文报道了一种基于静电相互作用相转移的温和蚀刻环境下，简便、可扩展的合成高荧光 Ag、Au、Pt 和 Cu 纳米团簇（NCs）的方法。以 Ag 作为模型金属，开发了一种简单快速的（总合成时间<3 小时）相转移循环（水相→有机相（2 小时孵育）→水相），可将最初多分散、非荧光和不稳定的 Ag NCs 转化为单分散、高荧光和极其稳定的 Ag NCs，且处于同一相（水相）并由相同的硫醇配体保护。该合成方案成功扩展到了由具有所需功能（例如羧基、羟基和氨基）的定制设计的肽保护的高度荧光 Ag NCs 的制备。本研究中开发的简便合成方法应该会极大地促进这类新型荧光探针的实际应用。
