Dou Xinyue, Saalah Sariah, Chiam Chel-Ken, Xie Jianping, Sipaut Coswald Stephen
Chemical Engineering Programme, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Sabah, Malaysia.
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore.
J Mater Chem B. 2025 Jan 22;13(4):1180-1194. doi: 10.1039/d4tb02207f.
Ultrasmall metal nanoclusters (NCs, <2 nm) have emerged as a novel class of luminescent probes due to their atomically precise size and tailored physicochemical properties. The rapid advancements in the design and utilization of metal NC-based luminescent probes are facilitated by the atomic-level manipulation of metal NCs. This review article explores (i) the engineering of metal NCs' functions for bioimaging applications, and (ii) the diverse uses of metal NCs in bioimaging. We begin by presenting an overview of the engineering functions of metal NCs as luminescent probes for bioimaging applications, highlighting key strategies for enhancing NCs' luminescence, biocompatibility and targeting capabilities towards biological specimens. Our discussion then centers on the bioimaging applications of metal NCs in subcellular organelles, individual cells, tissues, and entire organs. Finally, we offer a perspective on the challenges and potential developments in the future use of metal NCs for bioimaging applications.
超小金属纳米团簇（NCs，<2纳米）因其原子精确的尺寸和定制的物理化学性质，已成为一类新型的发光探针。金属NC基发光探针设计和应用的快速发展得益于对金属纳米团簇的原子级操控。这篇综述文章探讨了：（i）用于生物成像应用的金属纳米团簇功能的工程设计，以及（ii）金属纳米团簇在生物成像中的多种用途。我们首先概述金属纳米团簇作为生物成像应用发光探针的工程功能，强调增强纳米团簇发光、生物相容性和对生物样本靶向能力的关键策略。然后我们的讨论集中在金属纳米团簇在亚细胞器、单个细胞、组织和整个器官中的生物成像应用。最后，我们对金属纳米团簇未来用于生物成像应用的挑战和潜在发展提出了看法。
