UV-Light-Induced Improvement of Fluorescence Quantum Yield of DNA-Templated Gold Nanoclusters: Application to Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensing of Nucleic Acids

Fluorescence Regulation of Copper Nanoclusters via DNA Template Manipulation toward Design of a High Signal-to-Noise Ratio Biosensor

Because of bioaccumulation of food chain and disability of biodegradation, concentration of toxic mercury ions (Hg²⁺) in the environment dramatically varies from picomolar to micromolar, indicating the importance of well-performed Hg²⁺ analytical methods. Herein, reticular DNA is constructed by introducing thymine (T)-Hg²⁺-T nodes in poly(T) DNA, and copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with aggregate morphology are prepared using this reticular DNA as a template. Intriguingly, the prepared CuNCs exhibit enhanced fluorescence. Meanwhile, the reticular DNA reveals evident resistance to enzyme digestion, further clarifying the fluorescence enhancement of CuNCs. Relying on the dual function of DNA manipulation, a high signal-to-noise ratio biosensor is designed. This analytical approach can quantify Hg²⁺ in a very wide range (50 pM to 500 μM) with an ultralow detection limit (16 pM). Besides, depending on the specific interaction between Hg²⁺ and reduced l-glutathione (GSH), this biosensor is able to evaluate the inhibition of GSH toward Hg²⁺. In addition, pollution of Hg²⁺ in three lakes is tested using this method, and the obtained results are in accord with those from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In general, this work provides an alternative way to regulate the properties of DNA-templated nanomaterials and indicates the applicability of this way by fabricating an advanced biosensor.

Quantitative Analysis of Glucose Metabolic Cleavage in Glucose Transporters Overexpressed Cancer Cells by Target-Specific Fluorescent Gold Nanoclusters

The glucose metabolism rate in cancer cells is a crucial piece of information for the cancer aggressiveness. A feasible method to monitor processes of oncogenic mutations has been demonstrated in this work. The fluorescent gold nanoclusters conjugated with glucose (glucose-AuNCs) were successfully synthesized as a cancer-targeting probe for glucose transporters (Gluts) overexpressed by U-87 MG cancer cells, which can be observed under confocal microscopy. The structural and optical characterizations of fluorescent glucose-AuNCs were confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The MTT assay exhibited the high biocompatibility of water-soluble glucose-AuNCs for further biomedical applications. The glucose metabolic cleavage of glucose-AuNCs by glycolytic enzymes from U-87 MG cancer cell was measured by fluorescence change of glucose-AuNCs. The fluorescence change based on the integrated area under fluorescence spectra ( A _t) of glucose-AuNCs was plotted as a function of different reaction time ( t) with glycolytic enzymes. The fitted curve of A _t versus t showed the first-order kinetics to explain the mechanism of glucose metabolic cleavage rate of glucose-AuNCs by glycolytic enzymes. The rate constant k could be utilized to determine the glucose metabolism rate of glucose-AuNCs for the quantitative analysis of cancer aggressiveness. Our work provides a practical application of target-specific glucose-AuNCs as a fluorescence probe to analyze the glucose metabolism in Gluts overexpressed cancer cells.

Detection of Sulfide Using Mercapto Tetrazine-Protected Fluorescent Gold Nanodots: Preparation of Paper-Based Testing Kit for On-Site Monitoring

This work demonstrates the development of a highly sensitive method to detect and quantify sulfide ions (S^2-) in water samples. First, we synthesized 6-mercapto-s-triazolo(4,3-b)-s-tetrazine (MTT) by the reaction between formaldehyde and 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole at room temperature. The synthetic MTT was used as a capping ligand for the synthesis of gold nanodots (AuNDs) via a one-pot green method at room temperature with only a 10 min reaction time. Transmission electron microscopy images exhibited that the MTT-AuNDs have an average particle size of 1.9 nm and an emission maximum at 672 nm upon excitation at 360 nm. The synthesized highly red emissive MTT-AuNDs are used as specific fluorescent probes for the detection of S^2-. The fluorescence of MTT-AuNDs was significantly and dose-dependently quenched by the addition of S^2-. The observed fluorescence quenching was ascribed to the formation of an Au₂S complex, which was determined by Raman and mass spectroscopy. A good linearity was achieved for the increasing concentration of S^2- from 870 nM to 16 μM, and the detection limit was found to be 2 nM (S/N = 3). The S^2- detection system that is described in this study was validated and agreed well with the standard methylene blue method. Furthermore, the present sensor was examined for its use in quantifying S^2- in real water samples obtained from lakes and rivers. In addition, the specificity was checked against the most likely ion interferences in real water. Moreover, a cost-effective and viable paper-based S^2- sensor was fabricated for environmental monitoring based on the use of MTT-AuNDs. The developed system would be an environmentally friendly and easy-to-use detection device for S^2- in water.

A label-free, versatile and low-background chemiluminescence aptasensing strategy based on gold nanocluster catalysis combined with the separation of magnetic beads

A label-free, versatile and low-background chemiluminescence sensing strategy based on gold nanocluster catalysis combined with magnetic separation was developed.

Nanotechnology-Enhanced No-Wash Biosensors for in Vitro Diagnostics of Cancer

In vitro biosensors have been an integral component for early diagnosis of cancer in the clinic. Among them, no-wash biosensors, which only depend on the simple mixing of the signal generating probes and the sample solution without additional washing and separation steps, have been found to be particularly attractive. The outstanding advantages of facile, convenient, and rapid response of no-wash biosensors are especially suitable for point-of-care testing (POCT). One fast-growing field of no-wash biosensor design involves the usage of nanomaterials as signal amplification carriers or direct signal generating elements. The analytical capacity of no-wash biosensors with respect to sensitivity or limit of detection, specificity, stability, and multiplexing detection capacity is largely improved because of their large surface area, excellent optical, electrical, catalytic, and magnetic properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various nanomaterial-enhanced no-wash biosensing technologies and focuses on the analysis of the underlying mechanism of these technologies applied for the early detection of cancer biomarkers ranging from small molecules to proteins, and even whole cancerous cells. Representative examples are selected to demonstrate the proof-of-concept with promising applications for in vitro diagnostics of cancer. Finally, a brief discussion of common unresolved issues and a perspective outlook on the field are provided.

Water-Soluble Naked Gold Nanoclusters Are Not Luminescent

Here, the synthesis of water-dispersible naked gold nanoclusters (AuNC_naked ) is reported by a simple reduction of HAuCl₄ with NaOH at room temperature, and it is shown that they are non-luminescent. They are then easily passivated with different thiols and adenosine monophosphate, leading to luminescent NCs. This is an important finding because the photoluminescence of the passivated NCs can now be clearly attributed to the ligand-AuNC surface interaction. These results are also highly relevant from the point of view of the preparation of luminescent NCs from the same NC batch. This strategy can be valuable for the preparation of a broad range of nano(bio)composites.

One-step synthesis of boronic acid functionalized gold nanoclusters for photoluminescence sensing of dopamine

This study is the first to report one-step synthesis of boronic acid functionalized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) using mixed ligands of 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (MPBA) and glutathione. Furthermore, the emission color of the products can be fancily tuned from green to near-infrared by simply changing the proportion of the two stabilizers. In basic media, dopamine (DA) molecules themselves polymerize each other and form polydopamine with large amounts of cis-diol groups, which then react with boronic acid groups on the AuNC's surface based on the formation of boronate esters. As a result, the photoluminescence of the AuNCs is well quenched by the electron transfer effect. Accordingly, DA molecules are assayed from 0.5 to 9 μM, and the detection limit is as low as 0.1 μM. The as-prepared AuNCs exhibit high selectivity; the existing biomolecules including various amino acids, ascorbic acid, uric acid, glucose, etc, do not interfere with the assay. The proposed method is successfully applied to the assay of DA in human serum, indicating its practical potential.

Thermally prepared ultrabright adenosine monophosphate capped gold nanoclusters and the intrinsic mechanism

AMP capped gold nanoclusters, AuNC@AMP, have been prepared in a fast and cost-effective manner by using the heating and citrate reduction procedure, and have been found to show a strong and stable luminescence emission at 480 nm with a high quantum yield (QY, 14.52%).

Fluorescent metal quantum clusters: an updated overview of the synthesis, properties, and biological applications

A brief history of metal quantum clusters, their synthesis methods, physical properties, and an updated overview of their applications is provided.

Synthesis and properties enhancement of metal nanoclusters templated on a biological molecule/ionic liquids complex

Two biological template molecules and two short-chain imidazolium ionic liquids with amphipathy were selected to synthesize four different types of metal nanoclusters, which were templated on a biological molecule/imidazolium ionic liquids complex.

Energy Transfer Sensitization of Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters: More than Just the Classical Förster Mechanism

Luminescent gold nanocrystals (AuNCs) are a recently-developed material with potential optic, electronic and biological applications. They also demonstrate energy transfer (ET) acceptor/sensitization properties which have been ascribed to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and, to a lesser extent, nanosurface energy transfer (NSET). Here, we investigate AuNC acceptor interactions with three structurally/functionally-distinct donor classes including organic dyes, metal chelates and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Donor quenching was observed for every donor-acceptor pair although AuNC sensitization was only observed from metal-chelates and QDs. FRET theory dramatically underestimated the observed energy transfer while NSET-based damping models provided better fits but could not reproduce the experimental data. We consider additional factors including AuNC magnetic dipoles, density of excited-states, dephasing time, and enhanced intersystem crossing that can also influence ET. Cumulatively, data suggests that AuNC sensitization is not by classical FRET or NSET and we provide a simplified distance-independent ET model to fit such experimental data.

A gold nanocluster-based fluorescent probe for simultaneous pH and temperature sensing and its application to cellular imaging and logic gates

Metal nanocluster-based nanomaterials for the simultaneous determination of temperature and pH variations in micro-environments are still a challenge. In this study, we develop a dual-emission fluorescent probe consisting of bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) and fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) as temperature- and pH-responsive fluorescence signals. Under single wavelength excitation the FITC/BSA-AuNCs exhibited well-separated dual emission bands at 525 and 670 nm. When FITC was used as a reference fluorophore, FITC/BSA-AuNCs showed a good linear response over the temperature range 1-71 °C and offered temperature-independent spectral shifts, temperature accuracy, activation energy, and reusability. The possible mechanism for high temperature-induced fluorescence quenching of FITC/BSA-AuNCs could be attributed to a weakening of the Au-S bond, thereby lowering the charge transfer from BSA to AuNCs. Additionally, the pH- and temperature-responsive properties of FITC/BSA-AuNCs allow simultaneous temperature sensing from 21 to 41 °C (at intervals of 5 °C) and pH from 6.0 to 8.0 (at intervals of 0.5 pH unit), facilitating the construction of two-input AND logic gates. Three-input AND logic gates were also designed using temperature, pH, and trypsin as inputs. The practicality of using FITC/BSA-AuNCs to determine the temperature and pH changes in HeLa cells is also validated.

Ultrasound-mediated modulation of the emission of gold nanodots

In this study, we employed ultrasound-based treatment to mediate the emission properties of (11-mercaptoundecyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide-capped gold nanodots (11-MUTAB-Au NDs). The as-prepared 11-MUTAB-Au NDs (sizes: ca. 1.8 nm), obtained from the reaction of gold nanoparticles (ca. 3 nm) and 11-MUTAB, exhibited very weak red photoluminescence (PL) near 670 nm [quantum yield (QY): 0.01%] upon excitation at 365 nm. After ultrasonication (20 W) for 2 h, however, the 11-MUTAB-Au NDs exhibited a >1000-fold enhancement in their PL intensity (QY: 11.5%), which shifted to a green color (ca. 540 nm) with a longer PL lifetime, due to the smaller size of the resulting NDs and the higher density of their capping 11-MUTAB ligands. Moreover, the PL of the 11-MUTAB-Au NDs returned to the near-infrared region (ca. 810 nm) after ultrasonication for a long period of time (>5 h). The dramatically different optical properties of these alkanethiol-protected Au NDs after ultrasonication were presumably due to variation in their ligand densities; these effects were highly regulated by varying the ultrasonication time and power. Because the size, oxidation state, surface ligand density, and PL of these Au NDs could be controlled simply through ultrasonic treatment, this approach might open up new avenues for the preparation of emission-tunable metallic (e.g., Au, Ag, Pt) NDs presenting various capping ligands.

Adenosine monophosphate-capped gold(i) nanoclusters: synthesis and lanthanide ion-induced enhancement of their luminescence

Reduction of Au³⁺ in the presence of just AMP and HEPES, combined with light exposure, gives rise to luminescent, water-soluble Au⁺ nanoclusters. Their photoluminescence is considerably enhanced by adding Y³⁺ or Yb³⁺, which leads to Au⁺/Y³⁺ and Au⁺/Yb³⁺ NCs, respectively.

Cascade DNA logic device programmed ratiometric DNA analysis and logic devices based on a fluorescent dual-signal probe of a G-quadruplex DNAzyme

Two fluorescence sensitive substrates of G4 DNAzyme with inverse responses were simultaneously used to a cascade advanced DNA logic device based DNA analysis for the first time.