Engineering RAFT Polymers to the Protein‐capped Gold Nanoclusters for Developing Fluorescent Polymeric Nanoconjugates

Abstract

The synthesis of fluorescent hybrid nanomaterials engineered via the chain‐end modification of reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymers on the surface of bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein‐stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs@BSA) is described. Based on the “grafting‐to” approach the core‐shell structured nanoconjugates AuNCs@BSA/polymer are generated via effective ligation of hydrophilic, and stimuli‐responsive polymers. Such nanomaterials are characterized via various microscopic and spectroscopic studies and exhibit their size as ≈5 nm and emission peak at ≈650 nm. Interestingly, the conjugation of thermoresponsive polymer poly(diethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate) (PDEGMA) transformed the nanoconjugates AuNCs@BSA/PDEGMA as dual thermo/pH‐responsive nanomaterials.