DNA-Protected Silver Clusters for Nanophotonics

Nanomaterials

Elisabeth Gwinn¹  Danielle Schultz²  Stacy M. Copp¹  Steven Swasey² 

[1] Department of Physics, The University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: ligand-protected metal clusters;    DNA templates;    silver cluster;    machine learning;    DNA nanotechnology;    fluorescence;   

DOI  :  10.3390/nano5010180

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

DNA-protected silver clusters (Ag_N-DNA) possess unique fluorescence properties that depend on the specific DNA template that stabilizes the cluster. They exhibit peak emission wavelengths that range across the visible and near-IR spectrum. This wide color palette, combined with low toxicity, high fluorescence quantum yields of some clusters, low synthesis costs, small cluster sizes and compatibility with DNA are enabling many applications that employ Ag_N-DNA. Here we review what is known about the underlying composition and structure of Ag_N-DNA, and how these relate to the optical properties of these fascinating, hybrid biomolecule-metal cluster nanomaterials. We place Ag_N-DNA in the general context of ligand-stabilized metal clusters and compare their properties to those of other noble metal clusters stabilized by small molecule ligands. The methods used to isolate pure Ag_N-DNA for analysis of composition and for studies of solution and single-emitter optical properties are discussed. We give a brief overview of structurally sensitive chiroptical studies, both theoretical and experimental, and review experiments on bringing silver clusters of distinct size and color into nanoscale DNA assemblies. Progress towards using DNA scaffolds to assemble multi-cluster arrays is also reviewed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.