High throughput near infrared screening discovers DNA-templated silver clusters with peak fluorescence beyond 950 nm

Abstract

High throughput near infrared screening technology discovers DNA-stabilized silver clusters with fluorescence beyond 1000 nm.

Unusually large fluorescence quantum yield for a near-infrared emitting DNA-stabilized silver nanocluster

“…18 A possible explanation for the high fluorescence quantum yield in our case is that the AgNC is weakly bound to the DNA scaffold (agreeing with the observed limited thermal stability), limiting solvent and/or DNA-mediated non-radiative decay. This could be a very important discovery, opening up the possibility to find other DNA-AgNCs that emit even further in the NIR, 3 while retaining a high fluorescence quantum yield. Such fluorophores are currently missing and in high demand since they could find uses for in vivo tissue imaging.…”

“…1 DNA-AgNCs are composed of a limited number of silver atoms and cations (typically 2-30) wrapped in one or more DNA strands. 2,3 The easiest way to tune the optical properties is by varying the DNA sequence, which has an effect on the type of silver cluster that can be stabilized. [3][4][5] Not all DNA sequences yield DNA-AgNCs with useful properties, e.g.…”

“…S4, ESI †), indicating that two, if not three, DNA strands stabilize this AgNC. The latter argument is based on comparing the hydrodynamic volume of another NIR-emitting DNA-AgNC composed of 16 silver atoms stabilized by two 10-base oligonucleotides 8 which has a hydrodynamic volume of 10.5 nm 3 .…”

Establishing empirical design rules of nucleic acid templates for the synthesis of silver nanoclusters with tunable photoluminescence and functionalities towards targeted bioimaging applications

“…Traditionally, identifying suitable DNA molecules to template the formation of AgNCs with different photoluminescence colors relied on the trial-and-error screening of DNA libraries. 62,63 More recently, machine learning and data mining approaches have been exploited to better predict how different templating sequences can affect the AgNC emission colors with greater precision and accuracy. 64,65 Nevertheless, a systematic empirical approach to elucidate these coveted design rules by studying the effects of methodologically changing combinations of nucleobases on the DNA template has yet to be demonstrated.…”

Collective Response in DNA-Stabilized Silver Cluster Assemblies from First-Principles Simulations

“…14 Experimentally, significant progress has been achieved in synthesis of these highly fluorescent and photo-stable complexes, 15,16 demonstrating the possibility to create DNA-embedded silver clusters with absorption and emission spectra tunable in the whole visible range and even beyond it. [17][18][19] Very recent experimental advances allowed to shed light on the structures of these hybrid systems as well. 20,21 For theory these systems represent considerable challenge due to their size.…”