Ag-location-based color-tunable fluorescent AuAg nanoclusters for 'turn-on' and 'turn-off' detection of l-cysteine

The color-tunable AuAg nanoclusters (AuAg NCs) are designed by adjusting the location of Ag element, in which β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) serves as the capping and reducing agent. The mono-metal Au NCs emit red-fluorescent emission (red-Au NCs@β-Lg); however, the stronger metallophilic interaction between Au and Ag facilitate the smaller size, and then the bimetal AuAg NCs@β-Lg present yellow emission (yellow-AuAg NCs@β-Lg). A “Ag+ shell” outside the AuAg NCs@β-Lg cause the emission change to orange (orange-AuAg NCs@β-Lg-Ag+). This is the first time for Ag+ to tune continuously the emission wavelength of AuAg NCs. TEM proves that the size of particle has a close relationship with the fluorescence emissions. l -cysteine (Cys) stabilized the protective effect of β-Lg and shows a “turn on” effect on the fluorescence intensity of yellow-AuAg NCs@β-Lg. In contrary, the strong interaction between Cys and Ag+ destroys the protection of β-Lg to the core of yellow-AuAg NCs@β-Lg and shows a distinct “turn off” effect on the fluorescence intensity of orange-AuAg NCs@β-Lg-Ag+. The above phenomenon has been successfully applied to the detection of Cys in the Hela cells. This location-based color-tunable strategy is expected to open up a new potential to improve the performance of NCs.