Publication
Title
Gold nanoclusters with bright near-infrared photoluminescence
Author
Abstract
The increase in nonradiative pathways with decreasing emission energy reduces the luminescence quantum yield (QY) of near-infrared photoluminescent (NIR PL) metal nanoclusters. Efficient surface ligand chemistry can significantly improve the luminescence QY of NIR PL metal nanoclusters. In contrast to the widely reported but modestly effective thiolate ligand-to-metal core charge transfer, we show that metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) can be used to greatly enhance the luminescence QY of NIR PL gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). We synthesized water-soluble and colloidally stable NIR PL AuNCs with unprecedentedly high QY (similar to 25%) upon introduction of triphenylphosphonium moieties into the surface capping layer. By using a combination of spectroscopic and theoretical methods, we provide evidence for gold core-to-ligand charge transfer occurring in AuNCs. We envision that this work can stimulate the development of these unusually bright AuNCs for promising optoelectronic, bioimaging, and other applications.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Nanoscale / Royal Society of Chemistry [London] - Cambridge, 2009, currens
Publication
Cambridge : 2018
ISSN
2040-3364 [print]
2040-3372 [online]
DOI
10.1039/C7NR06050E
Volume/pages
10 :8 (2018) , p. 3792-3798
ISI
000426148500026
Pubmed ID
29412211
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 29.03.2018
Last edited 09.10.2023
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