“Gold Inlaid with Hair”: Permanent Fluorescent Hair Dyeing Using Fast Protein-Assisted Biomineralization of Gold Nanoclusters

Abstract

Permanent fluorescent hair dyeing is one of the modern coloration modes to meet the increasing demands of personality and fashion statements. However, the limited durability and narrow Stokes shift of small molecule dyes hinder the permanent performance and distinguished use of fluorescent hair dyes from conventional hair coloration. Here, fluorescent metal nanomaterials, gold nanoclusters, have been utilized as hair dyes and embedded inside hair through a fast protein-assisted biomineralization approach under heating and alkaline conditions. Heat and alkalinity not only ensure that the scales of hair fully open and the dye precursor is deeply pervasive but also largely promote the reducibility of hair protein. The introduction of gold nanocluster bestows a broad range of new photophysical, much enhanced antistatic, mechanical, durable, and biocompatible properties to hair, largely improving the comfort experience and cosmetic performance.

Protein-Directed Au(0)-Rich Gold Nanoclusters as Ratiometric Luminescence Sensors for Auric Ions via Comproportionation-Induced Emission Enhancement

“…However, different from traditional mono- or bi-dentate ligands of small organic molecules, biomolecular protein templates recently have been used to develop novel, multidentate polymers as Au NC ligands. , This allows the space-confinement effect to control the Au seed growth instead of common dynamics control over the reduction process of Au NCs by small molecules. A variety of natural proteins have been explored and exploited to direct and template in situ synthesis of Au NCs. − The introduction of synthetic biology has also allowed for Au NC protein templates to be designed to produce Au NCs with highly specific properties. , The protein-protected Au NCs are easy to be modified and biologically compatible. Their luminescence is stable against photobleaching and has a large Stokes-shift.…”