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Protein-protected gold/silver alloy nanoclusters in metal-enhanced singlet oxygen generation and their correlation with photoluminescence

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Yen Nee Tan

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Abstract

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Photoluminescent noble metal nanoclusters (NCs, core size <2 nm) have recently emerged as a new type of photosensitizers advantageous over conventional photosensitizers due to their high singlet oxygen (1O2) generation efficiency, excellent photostability and water solubility, as well as good biocompatibility for photodynamic therapy and bioimaging. However, no correlation has been established between the intrinsic 1O2 generation and photoluminescence properties of metal NCs with their size, composition, and concentration, which is important to customize the molecule-like properties of NCs for different applications. Herein, we report a systematic study to uncover the rational design of bimetallic NCs with controllable 1O2 generation efficiency by tuning their compositions through spontaneous galvanic displacement reaction. A series of ultrasmall gold/silver alloy nanoclusters (AuAgNCs) were synthesized by reacting bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein-protected Ag13NCs (13 Ag atoms/cluster) with varying concentrations of gold precursor at room temperature. It was found that the 1O2 generation efficiency of the resultant BSA-protected AuAgNCs were inversely correlated to their photoluminescence intensity. Interestingly, plasmonic gold nanoparticles (>10 nm) were also formed simultaneously by photobleaching of the BSA-AuAgNCs, leading to significant metal enhancement effect to the 1O2 generation rate much higher (~45 times) than that of the monometallic BSA-Ag13NC. This versatile two-for-one strategy to develop next generation metal-enhanced bimetallic NC photosensitizers in one pot opens up new opportunities in designing advanced hybrid nanomaterials with complementary and/or enhanced functionalities.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Yu Y, Lee WD, Tan YN

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Materials Science and Engineering C

Year: 2020

Volume: 109

Print publication date: 01/04/2020

Online publication date: 05/12/2019

Acceptance date: 05/12/2019

ISSN (print): 0928-4931

ISSN (electronic): 1873-0191

Publisher: Elsevier Ltd

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2019.110525

DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110525

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