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Gold nanoclusters as a near-infrared fluorometric nanothermometer for living cells

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Abstract

The authors describe the syntheses and application of glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with thermoresponsive properties. The AuNCs have excitation/emission maxima at 430/610 nm and the bright redfluorescence changes along with the temperature in the range from 0 to 90 °C which covers the normal temperature range of living cells. In the range of physiological temperatures (35–42 °C), the temperature resolution is 0.73 °C. The AuNCs display excellent colloidal stability and biocompatibility. They were used for fluorometric temperature detection and imaging of hepatic stellate cells. With such attractive features, the AuNCs are quite promising luminescence nanothermometers.

Schematic presentation of the fluorescence of glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) as nanothermometers in living cells. The AuNCs have excitation/emission maxima at 430/610 nm and the red fluorescence changes with temperature in a wide range of 0 to 90 °C which covers the normal temperature of living cells.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully appreciate the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81671756), Key Research Project of Science and Technology Foundation of Hunan Province (2017SK2093 and 2018GK5004), The State Key Laboratory of Drug Research (SIMM1803KF-14), andProjects of Medical and Health Technology Development Program in Shandong Province (2018WS471).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China

    Hailiang Zhang, Xiaozheng Cao, Tang Gao, Ranran Jia, Meihui Liu & Wenbin Zeng

  2. Institute of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, China

    Hailiang Zhang & Wenxiu Han

  3. Hunan Huacheng Biotech, Inc., Changsha, 410205, China

    Meihui Liu

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  1. Hailiang Zhang
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Zhang, H., Han, W., Cao, X. et al. Gold nanoclusters as a near-infrared fluorometric nanothermometer for living cells. Microchim Acta 186, 353 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-019-3460-3

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