Bright and stable gold nanocluster assemblies by silica/zirconia double-shell encapsulation

Abstract

Ultrasmall gold nanoclusters are fascinating fluorescent materials with many unique properties, yet, to render them highly luminescent and stable remains challenging. In this work, solvent-induced aggregates of gold nanoclusters are encapsulated in silica/zirconia nanostructures, realizing a significantly enhanced photoluminescence efficiency and stability. These silica and zirconia coated gold nanocluster aggregates achieved a photoluminescence quantum yield of ∼55%, with high resistance to photobleaching and water, due to the stabilization by the dual-oxide matrix. Furthermore, we demonstrate their suitability for visualizing latent fingerprints.