Two Distinct Fluorescent Quantum Clusters of Gold Starting from Metallic Nanoparticles by pH-Dependent Ligand Etching

Two fluorescent quantum clusters of gold, namely Au-25 and Au-8, have been synthesized from mercaptosuccinic acid-protected gold nanoparticles of 4-5 nm core diameter by etching with excess glutathione. While etching at pH similar to 3 yielded Au-25, that at pH 7-8 yielded Au-8. This is the first report of the synthesis of two quantum clusters starting from a single precursor. This simple method makes it possible to synthesize well-defined clusters in gram quantities. Since these clusters are highly fluorescent and are highly biocompatible due to their low metallic content, they can be used for diagnostic applications.