A gold nanocluster-based fluorescent probe for simultaneous pH and temperature sensing and its application to cellular imaging and logic gates.

Metal nanocluster-based nanomaterials for the simultaneous determination of temperature and pH variations in micro-environments are still a challenge. In this study, we develop a dual-emission fluorescent probe consisting of bovine serum albumin-stabilized gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) and fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) as temperature- and pH-responsive fluorescence signals. Under single wavelength excitation the FITC/BSA-AuNCs exhibited well-separated dual emission bands at 525 and 670 nm. When FITC was used as a reference fluorophore, FITC/BSA-AuNCs showed a good linear response over the temperature range 1-71 °C and offered temperature-independent spectral shifts, temperature accuracy, activation energy, and reusability. The possible mechanism for high temperature-induced fluorescence quenching of FITC/BSA-AuNCs could be attributed to a weakening of the Au-S bond, thereby lowering the charge transfer from BSA to AuNCs. Additionally, the pH- and temperature-responsive properties of FITC/BSA-AuNCs allow simultaneous temperature sensing from 21 to 41 °C (at intervals of 5 °C) and pH from 6.0 to 8.0 (at intervals of 0.5 pH unit), facilitating the construction of two-input AND logic gates. Three-input AND logic gates were also designed using temperature, pH, and trypsin as inputs. The practicality of using FITC/BSA-AuNCs to determine the temperature and pH changes in HeLa cells is also validated.

UV-Light-Induced Improvement of Fluorescence Quantum Yield of DNA-Templated Gold Nanoclusters: Application to Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensing of Nucleic Acids.

The use of DNA as a template has been demonstrated as an effective method for synthesizing different-sized silver nanoclusters. Although DNA-templated silver nanoclusters show outstanding performance as fluorescent probes for chemical sensing and cellular imaging, the synthesis of DNA-stabilized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with high fluorescence intensity remains a challenge. Here a facile, reproducible, scalable, NaBH4-free, UV-light-assisted method was developed to prepare AuNCs using repeats of 30 adenosine nucleotides (A30). The maximal fluorescence of A30-stabilized AuNCs appeared at 475 nm with moderate quantum yield, two fluorescence lifetimes, and a small amount of Au(+) on the surface of the Au core. Results of size-exclusion chromatography revealed that A30-stabilized AuNCs were more compact than A30. A series of control experiments showed that UV light played a dual role in the reduction of gold-ion precursors and the decomposition of citrate ions. A30 also acted as a stabilizer to prevent the aggregation of AuNCs. In addition, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) consisting of an AuNC-nucleation sequence and a hybridization sequence was utilized to develop a AuNC-based ratiometric fluorescent probe in the presence of the double-strand-chelating dye SYBR Green I (SG). Under conditions of single-wavelength excitation, the combination of AuNC/SG-bearing ssDNA and perfectly matched DNA emitted fluorescence at 475 and 525 nm, respectively. The formed AuNC/SG-bearing ssDNA enabled the sensitive, selective, and ratiometric detection of specific nucleic acid targets. Finally, the AuNC-based ratiometric probes were successfully applied to determine specific nucleic acid targets in human serum.

Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate-conjugated protein-directed synthesis of gold nanoclusters for fluorescent ratiometric sensing of an enzyme-substrate system.

This study describes the synthesis of a dual emission probe for the fluorescent ratiometric sensing of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), enzyme activity, and environmental pH change. Green-emitting fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) was conjugated to the amino groups of bovine serum albumin (BSA). This FITC-conjugated BSA acted as a template for the synthesis of red-emitting gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) under alkaline conditions. Under single wavelength excitation, FITC/BSA-stabilized AuNCs (FITC/BSA-AuNCs) emitted fluorescence at 525 and 670nm, which are sensitive to changes in solution pH and H2O2 concentration, respectively. The effective fluorescence quenching of AuNCs by H2O2 enabled FITC/BSA-AuNCs to ratiometrically detect the H2O2 product-related enzyme system and its inhibition, including glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of glucose, acetylcholinesterase/choline oxidase-mediated hydrolysis and oxidation of acetylcholine, and paraoxon-induced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. When pH-insensitive AuNCs were used as an internal standard, FITC/BSA-AuNCs offered a sensitive and reversible ratiometric sensing of a 0.1-pH unit change in the pH range 5.0-8.5. The pH-induced change in FITC fluorescence enabled FITC/BSA-AuNCs to detect an ammonia product-related enzyme system. This was exemplified with the determination of urea in plasma by urease-mediated hydrolysis of urea.