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Glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters as near-infrared-emitting efficient contrast agents for confocal fluorescence imaging of tissue-mimicking phantoms

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Abstract

An innovative research has been conducted focused on demonstrating the ability of novel dual-emissive glutathione-stabilized gold nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) to perform bright near-infrared (NIR)–emitting contrast agents inside tissue-mimicking agarose-phantoms via two complementary confocal fluorescence imaging techniques. First, using a new and fast microwave-assisted approach, we synthesized photostable dual-emitting GSH-AuNCs with an average size of 3.2 ± 0.4 nm and NIR emission quantum yield of 9.9%. Steady-state fluorescence measurements coupled with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) assays performed on lyophilized GSH-AuNCs revealed that the obtained GSH-AuNCs exhibit PL emissions at 610 nm (red PL) and, respectively, 800 nm (NIR PL) in both solution and powder solid-state. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements showed that the two PL components are characterized by average lifetimes of 407 ns (red PL) and 1821 ns (NIR PL), respectively. Additionally, due to a partial overlap between the red PL and the absorption of the NIR PL, an energy transfer between the two coexisting emissive centers was discovered and confirmed via steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Furthermore, the FLIM analysis performed on powder GSH-AuNCs under 640 nm, an excitation more suitable for bioimaging applications, revealed a homogeneous and photostable NIR PL signal from GSH-AuNCs. Finally, the ability of GSH-AuNCs to operate as reliable NIR-emitting contrast agents inside tissue-mimicking agarose-phantoms was demonstrated here for the first time via complementary FLIM and re-scan confocal fluorescence imaging techniques. In consequence, GSH-AuNCs show great promise for future in vivo imaging applications via confocal fluorescence microscopy.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by CNCS-UEFISCDI, Project PN-III-P4-PCCF-2016-0142.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanobiophotonics and Laser Microspectroscopy Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, 42 T. Laurian, 400271, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Alexandru-Milentie Hada, Ana-Maria Craciun, Monica Focsan & Simion Astilean

  2. Department of Biomolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Babes-Bolyai University, 1 M. Kogalniceanu, 400084, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Alexandru-Milentie Hada & Simion Astilean

  3. Nanostructured Materials and Bio-Nano-Interfaces Center, Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai University, 42 T. Laurian, 400271, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Adriana Vulpoi

  4. Department of Surfaces and Interfaces, National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor, 077125, Magurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Elena-Larisa Borcan

  5. Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 405 Atomistilor, 077125, Magurele, Ilfov, Romania

    Elena-Larisa Borcan

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  1. Alexandru-Milentie Hada
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Hada, AM., Craciun, AM., Focsan, M. et al. Glutathione-capped gold nanoclusters as near-infrared-emitting efficient contrast agents for confocal fluorescence imaging of tissue-mimicking phantoms. Microchim Acta 189, 337 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-022-05440-0

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