Bio-inspired Janus gold nanoclusters with lipid and amino acid functional capping ligands: micro-voltammetry and in situ electron transfer in a biogenic environment

This investigation reports the design and synthesis of bio-inspired interfacial Janus gold quantum clusters with DPPC lipid and amino acid tyrosine ligand functionalities. The lipid, anchored through steric and charge stabilization, nanoengineered the size and spatial requirements of the 2D Janus cluster array. In situ quantum charging and electron transfer in this biogenic environment revealed the role of tyrosine towards enhanced electron transfer across the Janus cluster and provided a direct clue in understanding nanoparticle-mediated interactions in a microenvironment. This work is the first report of quantized electron transfer dynamics in a Janus cluster, and it clearly depicts the role of tyrosine ligand and inter-cluster coupling during the single-electron charging of the Janus clusters, which may be extended towards understanding electron transfer at alveolar interfaces.