Rapid preparation of water-soluble Ag@Au nanoclusters with bright deep-red emission

Deep-red (lambda(em) similar to 710 nm) thiolated Ag@Au nanoclusters with a quantum yield of similar to 18% were rapidly (similar to 12 min) prepared in aqueous solutions. The effects of pH and silver ions were demonstrated. The surface modification further resulted in nanoclusters with a quantum yield of similar to 38%, the highest value ever reported for water-soluble red Au nanoclusters. This will highly facilitate their applications in sensing, bioimaging, etc.

Automated summary

Deep-red thiolated Ag@Au nanoclusters with a quantum yield of approximately 18% were prepared rapidly in aqueous solutions. The effects of pH and silver ions were demonstrated, and surface modification resulted in nanoclusters with a quantum yield of approximately 38%, the highest value reported for water-soluble red Au nanoclusters. These findings will greatly facilitate their applications in sensing, bioimaging, etc.