High Fructose Concentration Increases the Fluorescence Stability of DNA-Templated Copper Nanoclusters by Several Thousand Times

DNA-templated copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) have limited applications because of their low fluorescence stability (several tens of minutes). In this study, we prepared CuNCs with improved temporal fluorescence stability by introducing fructose into the CuNC synthesis process and optimizing the reaction conditions. The inclusion of fructose increased the operating lifetime of CuNCs by approximately 5200-fold from 30 min to 108 days and improved their stability against heat, acids, and bases compared to CuNCs synthesized under original conditions. In addition, the fluorescence signal of CuNCs was maintained for a significantly longer time when stored at refrigeration (4 ?) and freezing (-20 ?) temperatures. Importantly, this method did not require the addition of substances other than fructose or any additional physicochemical treatment to maintain the fluorescence of DNA-templated CuNCs for more than several tens of days. As such, this study could serve as a basis to improve the stability of CuNCs for various applications.

Automated summary

In this study, DNA-templated copper nanoclusters with improved fluorescence stability were prepared by introducing fructose into the synthesis process. The inclusion of fructose significantly increased the operating lifetime of the CuNCs and improved their stability against various conditions. Moreover, the fluorescence signal of CuNCs was maintained for a longer time when stored at low temperatures. These findings provide a basis for improving the stability of copper nanoclusters for various applications.