Amphiphilic polymer-template synthesis and pH-triggered phase transfer of luminescent silver nanocrystals

Luminescent silver nanocrystals (L-AgNCs) were synthesized using an amphiphilic polymer template, consisting of dodecylamine (DDA) grafted poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Upon UV-light irradiation at 365 nm for different time intervals, AgNCs were gradually achieved and exhibited distinct luminescence. After undergoing 1.5 h irradiation, the maximum emission peak of L-AgNCs was located at 612 nm. In addition, the resulting L-AgNCs possessed pH-triggered phase transfer from water to chloroform. When adjusting pH of buffer solutions contained L-AgNCs from 5.0 toward 4.0, the hydrophilic AgNCs gradually became hydrophobic, together with a significant transfer from H 2 O phase to chloroform phase. This design could be further developed toward a smart luminescence imaging reagent, or therapeutic nanoparticles with controllable solubility by a small pH change.