Encapsulation of aggregated gold nanoclusters in a metal-organic framework for real-time monitoring of drug release

Nanoscale. 2017 Mar 23;9(12):4128-4134. doi: 10.1039/c7nr00073a.

Abstract

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), which have stable luminescence and negligible biotoxicity, are a promising candidate in biological fields. However, their low photoluminescence (PL) efficiency is unsatisfactory. Herein, aggregated gold nanoclusters (aAuNCs) were confined in a metal-organic framework (MOF) to maintain their aggregation, restrict the rotation of their ligands, and further improve their quantum yield (QY) to 7.74%. The aAuNCs-MOF exhibited high luminescence and good biocompatibility. More importantly, in addition to its pH-dependent luminescence and external porosity, the complex was applied for the first time in real-time monitoring of drug release.

MeSH terms

  • Drug Liberation*
  • Gold*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Luminescence
  • Metal Nanoparticles*
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks*

Substances

  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Gold