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One-step synthesis of fluorescent smart thermo-responsive copper clusters: A potential nanothermometer in living cells

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Abstract

Temperature measurement in biology and medical diagnostics, along with sensitive temperature probing in living cells, is of great importance; however, it still faces significant challenges. Metal nanoclusters (NCs) with attractive luminescent properties may be promising candidates to overcome such challenges. Here, a novel one-step synthetic method is presented to prepare highly fluorescent copper NCs (CuNCs) in ambient conditions by using glutathione (GSH) as both the reducing agent and the protective layer preventing the aggregation of the as-formed NCs. The resultant CuNCs, with an average diameter of 2.3 nm, contain 1–3 atoms and exhibit red fluorescence (λem = 610 nm) with high quantum yields (QYs, up to 5.0%). Interestingly, the fluorescence signal of the CuNCs is reversibly responsive to the environmental temperature in the range of 15–80 °C. Furthermore, as the CuNCs exhibit good biocompatibility, they can pervade the MC3T3-E1 cells and enable measurements over the physiological temperature range of 15–45 °C with the use of the confocal fluorescence imaging method. In view of the facile synthesis method and attractive fluorescence properties, the as-prepared CuNCs may be used as photoluminescence thermometers and biosensors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Food Colloids and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical & Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Chan Wang, Lin Ling & Qijun Song

  2. Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, China

    Lin Ling & Yagang Yao

  3. State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Chan Wang

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  1. Chan Wang
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  2. Lin Ling
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  3. Yagang Yao
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Correspondence to Yagang Yao or Qijun Song.

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Wang, C., Ling, L., Yao, Y. et al. One-step synthesis of fluorescent smart thermo-responsive copper clusters: A potential nanothermometer in living cells. Nano Res. 8, 1975–1986 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-015-0707-0

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