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Time-dependent emission stokes shift in Au, Ag and Au/Ag fluorescent nanoclusters: evidence of multiple emissive states

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Abstract

Au, Ag and bimetallic Au/Ag nanoclusters were prepared under similar microwave-irradiated synthesis conditions in aqueous solutions, using BSA as a stabilizer. The nanoclusters exhibited strong fluorescence with characteristic emission spectral peak features that suggested the presence of multiple emissive states in each case. Time-resolved emission studies revealed the very rare incidence of the time-dependent emission Stokes shift in metal nanoclusters over a time-scale of ~10 ns. The shifts were of varying degrees: ~200 cm−1 for Ag, ~750 cm−1 for Au and ~1400 cm−1 for Au/Ag nanoclusters. Application of the Time-Resolved Area Normalized Emission Spectra (TRANES) method confirmed the existence of multiple emissive species in each of the nanoclusters, which also helped to explain the time-dependent emission Stokes shift.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, APC Road, Kolkata, 700009, India

    Nabaruna Basu & Debabrata Mandal

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  1. Nabaruna Basu
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  2. Debabrata Mandal
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Correspondence to Debabrata Mandal.

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Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c8pp00540k

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Basu, N., Mandal, D. Time-dependent emission stokes shift in Au, Ag and Au/Ag fluorescent nanoclusters: evidence of multiple emissive states. Photochem Photobiol Sci 18, 1782–1792 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1039/c8pp00540k

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c8pp00540k

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