Solvatochromism of Amphiphilic Au(SR) Nanoclusters Based on Supramolecular Ligand-Thiolated Crown Ether.

Atomically precise nanoclusters find multiple applications in, for example, bioimaging or as catalysts due to their remarkable molecule-like properties which are tightly bound to their strictly defined structures. However, their physicochemical characterization and broad utilization in the aforementioned areas are often challenging due to the limited solubility. Herein, we report the synthesis of Au nanoclusters (NCs) capped with 2-mercaptomethyl-12-crown-4 ether, imparting amphiphilic properties that confer solubility in both polar and nonpolar solvents.

Towards ultrasensitive biosensors based on virus-like particles and plasmonic surface lattice resonance.

Plasmonic surface lattice resonance (SLR) is a phenomenon in which individual localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) excited in periodically-arranged plasmonic nanoparticles couple through the interaction with the propagating diffracted incident light. The SLR optical absorption peak is by at least one order of magnitude more intense than the LSPR one, making SLR superior for applications in which LSPR is commonly used. Recently, we have developed a route for the fabrication of spherical virus-like particles (VLPs) with plasmonic Au cores and protein coronas, where the LSPR in the cores amplifies vibrational Raman signals originating from protein-antibody interactions [ACS Synth.

Two-Photon and Three-Photon Circular Dichroism of Au Gold Nanoclusters Enantiomers.

While circular dichroism (CD) and optical activity (OA) are well established as optical effects used in characterization of chiral media, harmonic generation and multiphoton circular dichroism are increasingly seen as new, convenient ways of exploring chirality thanks to their operation in the near-infrared range of wavelengths. However, quantitative data about two-photon circular dichroism (2PCD) of organic and inorganic materials are scarce, and even less can be found about three-photon circular dichroism (3PCD). Here, we show that both 2PCD and 3PCD can be readily detected in chiral atomically precise gold nanoclusters via polarimetric Z-scan technique.

Single Gold Nanobipyramids Sensing the Chirality of Amyloids.

Plasmonic nanoparticles, due to their sensitivity to small changes in their closest environment and plasmon resonance, can sense the chirality of the surrounding molecules. Therefore, plasmonic nanoparticles can be applied as a next-generation biosensor for peptides or proteins. In this work, we explore the interaction between chiral, ordered protein aggregates (amyloids) and small gold nanobipyramids.

Polarization-sensitive Two-photon Microscopy for a Label-free Amyloid Structural Characterization.

Compared to its one-photon counterpart, two-photon excitation is beneficial for bioimaging experiments because of its lower phototoxicity, deeper tissue penetration, efficient operation in densely packed systems, and reduced angular photoselection of fluorophores. Thus, the introduction of polarization analysis in two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) provides a more precise determination of molecular organization in a sample compared to standard imaging methods based on linear optical processes. In this work, we focus on polarization-sensitive 2PFM (ps-2PFM) and its application in the determination of molecular ordering within complex bio-structures-amyloid spherulites.

SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles with Plasmonic Au Cores and S1-Spike Protein Coronas.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated the scientific world to intensify virus-related studies aimed at the development of quick and safe ways of detecting viruses in the human body, studying the virus-antibody and virus-cell interactions, and designing nanocarriers for targeted antiviral therapies. However, research on dangerous viruses can only be performed in certified laboratories that follow strict safety procedures. Thus, developing deactivated virus constructs or safe-to-use virus-like objects, which imitate real viruses and allow performing virus-related studies in any research laboratory, constitutes an important scientific challenge.

Crown Ether-Capped Gold Nanoclusters as a Multimodal Platform for Bioimaging.

The distinct polarity of biomolecule surfaces plays a pivotal role in their biochemistry and functions as it is involved in numerous processes, such as folding, aggregation, or denaturation. Therefore, there is a need to image both hydrophilic and hydrophobic bio-interfaces with markers of distinct responses to hydrophobic and hydrophilic environments. In this work, we present a synthesis, characterization, and application of ultrasmall gold nanoclusters capped with a 12-crown-4 ligand.

Half-Heusler phase TmNiSb under pressure: intrinsic phase separation, thermoelectric performance and structural transition.

Half-Heusler (HH) phase TmNiSb was obtained by arc-melting combined with high-pressure high-temperature sintering in conditions: p = 5.5 GPa, [Formula: see text] = 20, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 [Formula: see text]C. Within pressing temperatures 20-750 [Formula: see text]C the samples maintained HH structure, however, we observed intrinsic phase separation.

Gold-Doping Effect on Two-Photon Absorption and Luminescence of Atomically Precise Silver Ligated Nanoclusters.

Noble metal nanoclusters allow for the atomically-precise control of their composition. However, to create nanoclusters with pre-defined optical properties, comprehensive description of their structure-property relation is required. Here, we report the gold atom doping impact on one-photon and two-photon absorption (TPA) and luminescence properties of ligated silver nanoclusters via combined experimental studies and time-dependent density functional theory simulations (TD-DFT).

Amyloid fibrils in superstructures - local ordering revealed by polarization analysis of two-photon excited autofluorescence.

Protein misfolding products - amyloids - tend to form distinct fibrillar structures of the characteristic fold for a given neurodegenerative disease or pathology. Moreover, amyloids (also in the intermediate or distorted state) can act as secondary nuclei for fibrillation. Such secondary nucleation amplifies plaque development correlated with various diseases.

Circular Dichroism of Gold Bipyramid Dimers.

Chiral nanomaterials attract broad attention, as they offer new possibilities of modulation of optical properties and dissymmetry factors outperforming organic materials. Among various nanoparticles, plasmonic bipyramids present numerous advantages as building blocks of chiral nanomaterials (well-defined modulation of optical properties with the morphology of nanoparticles, narrow optical resonances, and high size and shape uniformity of synthesized particles). We study different possible orientations of gold bipyramids with respect to each other in dimers obtained by wet chemistry methods.

Two-Photon Excited Polarization-Dependent Autofluorescence of Amyloids as a Label-Free Method of Fibril Organization Imaging.

Amyloids are broadly investigated protein misfolding products with characteristic β-sheet assemblies that have an important role in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease).

Two-photon absorption and photoluminescence of colloidal gold nanoparticles and nanoclusters.

This review provides a comprehensive description of nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of gold nanoparticles, which can be used in biological applications. The main focus is placed on two-photon absorption (2PA) and two-photon excited photoluminescence (2PEL) - the processes crucial for multiphoton microscopy, which allows deeper imaging of the material and causes less damage to the biological samples in comparison to conventional (one-photon) microscopy. We present the basics of 2PA measurement techniques and a summary of recent achievements in the understanding of multiphoton excitation and the resulting photoluminescence in gold nanoparticles, both plasmonic ones and small nanoclusters with molecule-like properties.