Biomaterial Database

DNA Nanoribbon-Templated Self-Assembly of Ultrasmall Fluorescent Copper Nanoclusters with Enhanced Luminescence. 2020

Xiangyuan Ouyang, and Meifang Wang, and Linjie Guo, and Chengjun Cui, and Ting Liu, and Yongan Ren, and Yan Zhao, and Zhilei Ge, and Xiniu Guo, and Gang Xie, and Jiang Li, and Chunhai Fan, and Lihua Wang

Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710127, P. R. China.

Fluorescent copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) have been widely used in chemical sensors, biological imaging, and light-emitting devices. However, individual fluorescent CuNCs have limitations in their capabilities arising from poor photostability and weak emission intensities. As one kind of aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), the formation of aggregates with high compactness and good order can efficiently improve the emission intensity, stability, and tunability of CuNCs. Here, DNA nanoribbons, containing multiple specific binding sites, serve as a template for in situ synthesis and assembly of ultrasmall CuNCs (0.6 nm). These CuNC self-assemblies exhibit enhanced luminescence and excellent fluorescence stability because of tight and ordered arrangement through DNA nanoribbons templating. Furthermore, the stable and bright CuNC assemblies are demonstrated in the high-sensitivity detection and intracellular fluorescence imaging of biothiols.