Atomically Precise Metal Nanoclusters for Chiral Optics and Sensing
This community develops metal nanoclusters with exact atomic compositions to exploit their unique optical properties, specifically circularly polarized luminescence and fluorescence, for applications in chiral sensing, bioimaging, and asymmetric catalysis.
The work centers on the synthesis of gold, silver, and copper nanoclusters with defined atomic structures, often protected by ligands such as thiolates or N-heterocyclic carbenes. A dominant theme is the engineering of chirality within these clusters to generate circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence. These optical features are applied to create sensitive fluorescent probes for detecting chiral molecules and to enable high-resolution bioimaging in the near-infrared range. Additionally, the precise surface chemistry of these clusters is manipulated for asymmetric catalysis and photocatalytic reactions, including hydrogen production and organic synthesis. The research frequently employs DNA templating and bioinspired self-assembly methods to control the cluster's shape and electronic structure.
Gold research accounts for the largest share of this community's output, with 2,261 papers representing 1.1% of all tracked gold research. Silver follows with 1,791 papers (1.0% of silver research), and copper contributes 835 papers (0.3% of copper research).
The community comprises 6,794 papers, primarily published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Nanoscale.
Recent work focuses on the structural evolution of gold and silver nanoclusters, including the synthesis of "quantum needles" and rods that emit in the shortwave infrared. Current research also explores the functionalization of these clusters for asymmetric catalysis and the stabilization of high-nuclear silver clusters to enhance photoluminescence in biological environments.