Issue 9, 2024

Dynamic surface reconstruction of individual gold nanoclusters by using a co-reactant enables color-tunable electrochemiluminescence

Abstract

Here we report for the first time the phenomenon of continuously color-tunable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) from individual gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) confined in a porous hydrogel matrix by adjusting the concentration of the co-reactant. Specifically, the hydrogel-confined Au NCs exhibit strong dual-color ECL in an aqueous solution with triethylamine (TEA) as a co-reactant, with a record-breaking quantum yield of 95%. Unlike previously reported Au NCs, the ECL origin of the hydrogel-confined Au NCs is related to both the Au(0) kernel and the Au(I)–S surface. Surprisingly, the surface-related ECL of Au NCs exhibits a wide color-tunable range of 625–829 nm, but the core-related ECL remains constant at 489 nm. Theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that the color-tunable ECL is caused by the dynamic surface reconstruction of Au NCs and TEA radicals. This work opens up new avenues for dynamically manipulating the ECL spectra of core–shell emitters in biosensing and imaging research.

Graphical abstract: Dynamic surface reconstruction of individual gold nanoclusters by using a co-reactant enables color-tunable electrochemiluminescence

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
16 Nov 2023
Accepted
13 Jan 2024
First published
16 Jan 2024
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2024,15, 3255-3261

Dynamic surface reconstruction of individual gold nanoclusters by using a co-reactant enables color-tunable electrochemiluminescence

Y. Lei, D. Wu, M. Pan, X. Tao, W. Zeng, L. Gan, Y. Chai, R. Yuan and Y. Zhuo, Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 3255 DOI: 10.1039/D3SC06148E

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