title: Single fluorescent gold nanoclusters.
abstract: Both ensemble and single-molecule measurements were performed to explore the fluorescence properties of Au nanoclusters (NCs). Photoinduced fluorescence enhancement was observed for ensemble NCs in solution, but photobleaching was found at ambient environments. At the single-molecule level, fluorescence blinking and single-step photobleaching were observed. Furthermore, their time-resolved fluorescence shows a single exponential decay with a lifetime of approximately 7 ns and is insensitive to changes in fluorescence intensity. The lifetime distribution is more homogeneous within ensemble Au NCs as compared to CdSe QDs. Therefore, Au NCs have potential applications as nontoxic fluorescent labels for lifetime-based imaging microscopy. However, their low quantum yields and poor photostability are disadvantageous factors, which require further improvement.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chuu
mesh_terms: D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006046:Gold