Preparation of orange-red fluorescent gold nanoclusters using denatured casein as a reductant and stabilizing agent,and their application to imaging of HeLa cells and for the quantitation of mercury(II)

We describe a method for the preparation of water-soluble gold nanoclusters (Au-NCs) from chloroauric acid using denatured-casein as both a reducing and stabilizing agent. The resulting Au-NCs were characterized by photoluminescence, UV–vis absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and by transmission electron microscopy. The Au-NCs have an average diameter of 1.7 ± 0.2 nm and exhibit orange-red fluorescence emission peaking at 600 nm (with a Stokes’ shift as large as 237 nm), a quantum yield of 4.3 %, and good stability over the physiologically relevant range of pH values and ionic strength. Cytotoxicity studies showed the Au-NCs to display negligible effects in terms of altering cell proliferation or triggering apoptosis. Fluorescence imaging of HeLa cancer cells was accomplished by loading such cells with the Au-NCs. The fluorescence of the Au-NCs is found to be strongly quenched by Hg(II) ions, and thus the Au-NCs can be used for detecting and, possibly, imaging of Hg(II). An assay was worked out for the determination of Hg(II), and its limit of detection is 1.83 nM, which is 5.5 times lower than the maximum allowed concentration of Hg(II) in drinking water as defined by the US EPA.

Denatured-casein was firstly used as a reductant and stabilizing agent in facile preparation of orange-red fluorescent AuNCs for imaging of HeLa cells and for the quantitation of mercury(II)