Structural distortion and electron redistribution in dual-emitting gold nanoclusters

Li, Qi; Zhou, Dongming; Chai, Jinsong; So, Woong Young; Cai, Tong; Li, Mingxing; Peteanu, Linda A.; Chen, Ou; Cotlet, Mircea; Wendy Gu, X.; Zhu, Haiming; Jin, Rongchao

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16686-8

Title: Structural distortion and electron redistribution in dual-emitting gold nanoclusters

Journal Article · 08 June 2020 · Nature Communications

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16686-8 · OSTI ID:1635476

Li, Qi ^[1]; Zhou, Dongming ^[2]; Chai, Jinsong ^[3];

^[3];

^[4]; Li, Mingxing ^[5]; Peteanu, Linda A. ^[3];

^[4]; Cotlet, Mircea ^[5];

^[6];

^[2];

^[3]

Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou (China)
Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Deciphering the complicated excited-state process is critical for the development of luminescent materials with controllable emissions in different applications. Here we report the emergence of a photo-induced structural distortion accompanied by an electron redistribution in a series of gold nanoclusters. Such unexpected slow process of excited-state transformation results in near-infrared dual emission with extended photoluminescent lifetime. We demonstrate that this dual emission exhibits highly sensitive and ratiometric response to solvent polarity, viscosity, temperature and pressure. Thus, a versatile luminescent nano-sensor for multiple environmental parameters is developed based on this strategy. Furthermore, we fully unravel the atomic-scale structural origin of this unexpected excited-state transformation, and demonstrate control over the transition dynamics by tailoring the bi-tetrahedral core structures of gold nanoclusters. Overall, this work provides a substantial advance in the excited-state physical chemistry of luminescent nanoclusters and a general strategy for the rational design of next-generation nano-probes, sensors and switches.

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 1635476

Report Number(s):: BNL--216094-2020-JAAM

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 11; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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