Gold Nanocluster-Decorated Nanocomposites with Enhanced Emission and Reactive Oxygen Species Generation

Abstract

Ligand-protected gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) show promise for high performance in biological applications, such as imaging and therapeutics. The assembly of AuNCs with biological macromolecules represents a simple but effective approach to fine-tuning of material functionalities. Thus, these materials might enable intracellular applications of AuNCs. Herein, we prepared a new AuNC-based nanometric system through a self-assembly approach mediated by hydrophobic and electrostatic effects. We show that hydrophobic and electrostatic effects between fluorescent AuNCs with protamine and hyaluronic acid contribute to the formation of small nanocomposites with acceptable colloidal stability. More importantly, the AuNC-decorated nanocomposites show assembly enhanced emission and singlet oxygen generation. In vitro experiments showed that our nanocomposites labeled specific cells by targeting CD44 and induced cell death by producing singlet oxygen. Hence, our AuNC-decorated nanocomposites show great potential as theranostic fluorescent nanomaterials.

Photo/electrocatalysis and photosensitization using metal nanoclusters for green energy and medical applications

“…19A). 106 Results of in vitro experiments revealed that the AuNC-HA-PROT nanocomposite showed effective endocytosis of target MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, high PDT activity, as well as uorescence imaging.…”

Regulating the Optical Properties of Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications

“…Isothermal microcalorie data for titration of AuNCs solution with (b) HA and (c) PROT. Reprinted with permission from ref ( 29 ). Copyright 2019 American Chemical Society.…”

“… 10 We prepared therapeutic nanocomposites based on AuNCs with enhanced ROS generation. 29 Owing to the specific binding between HA and CD44, the nanocomposites based on AuNCs could serve as efficient photosensitizers to kill MDA-MB-231 cancer cells. Derived from robust ability to adsorb and scatter X-ray, structurally defined gold-levonorgestrel nanoclusters were demonstrated as radiosensitizers for cancer therapy.…”

Facile synthesis of dual-emission fluorescent carbon nanodots for a multifunctional probe

“…Peaks at 3000–3500 cm −1 confirmed the presence of OH/N–H bonds, and three peaks at 1617, 1566, and 1436 cm −1 confirmed the presence of C O, C C, and C–N bonds, respectively. 27 Moreover, C–N stretching of the amides peak was observed at 1376 cm −1 . 28 Fig.…”

“…We conjectured that CDs generate ROS under UV light illumination. 27 The DCFH could be rapidly oxidized by ROS and lead to the formation of highly fluorescent 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) species. 29 The ROS generated from CDs under UV light irradiation could be verified by monitoring the DCF fluorescence signal (Fig.…”