NIR-Emitting Gold Nanoclusters Encapsulated in PS- b -PEG Polymer Micelles.
Bárbara CasteleiroTalita de FrancescoJosé Manuel Gaspar MartinhoArnaud FavierMarie-Thérèse CharreyreMatthew G MoffittJosé Paulo Sequeira FarinhaPublished in: Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids (2024)
Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are an emerging type of luminescent probe, featuring good biocompatibility, high photostability, and large Stoke shifts. Their lack of colloidal stability is, however, a drawback for many applications. Here, we report the stabilization of AuNCs emitting in the NIR by a thiol-terminated polystyrene chain ( M n = 5000 g mol -1 ). The optical properties of this nanocomposite remain invariant for 2 years in THF. To use the PS 5k -AuNCs in an aqueous environment, these were encapsulated into polymer micelles using a polystyrene- b -poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer. The resulting hierarchical constructs, with diameters of ca. 125 to 215 nm, have promising properties for applications as luminescent probes such as contrast agents for biomedical imaging.
Keyphrases
- quantum dots
- drug release
- sensitive detection
- drug delivery
- fluorescent probe
- living cells
- energy transfer
- fluorescence imaging
- photodynamic therapy
- cancer therapy
- high resolution
- silver nanoparticles
- magnetic resonance
- light emitting
- small molecule
- ionic liquid
- hyaluronic acid
- protein kinase
- simultaneous determination
- carbon nanotubes
- reduced graphene oxide