Abstract
Highly red luminescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have been prepared at physiological temperature by using glutathione (GSH) as a stabilizing and capping agent in aqueous media. The resultant AuNCs have been characterized by photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and FTIR. The AuNCs exhibit red fluorescence with a quantum yield of 3.1 %, and fluorescence is strongly quenched by copper(II) ion due to aggregation. This finding is exploited in a fluorometric assay for Cu(II) that has a 2.8 nM detection limit. The method was applied to the determination of Cu(II) ion in (spiked) mineral water and Tai Lake water. In addition, the AuNCs display a strongly temperature-dependent emission that can be used for optical determination of temperature in the 0 to 60 °C range. We finally show that the AuNCs are viable nanomaterials for (a) plain imaging of Hep-2 cells by laser scanning confocal microscopy, and for (b) intracellular imaging of Cu(II) and of temperature in Hep-2 cells and E. coli.
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