Chiral self-assembled organogels based on gold nanoclusters — From synthesis to characterization
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School of Chemical Engineering |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2024-08-30
Department
Major/Subject
Functional Materials for Global Challenges
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in Advanced Materials for Innovation and Sustainability
Language
en
Pages
54
Series
Abstract
Fluorescent organogels have garnered a lot of interest due to their unique properties such as their sensitivity and specificity, which can be tailored through exposure to light, mechanical stress, or adjusting the composition of the material. The instant visual gratification that they offer deems them to be incredibly useful for biomedical applications. However, current state-of-the-art materials (dye-based and quantum dots) pose toxicity risks to humans, deeming them unsuitable for this field. Au nanoclusters have garnered a lot of attention due to their biocompatibility, high surface-to-volume ratio, distinctive optical properties, namely photoluminescence, as well as their unique structural properties. Within this thesis, the aim was to synthesize a self-assembled, chiral, fluorescent, non-toxic organogel using ultrasmall, atomically precise Au6 nanoclusters as colloidal building blocks, along with Formic Acid as the gelator, with the intention of using it for sensing, imaging, drug delivery or for photodynamic/photothermal therapy. Upon performing characterization testing, it was found that the self-assembly formed a directional, three-dimensional network of fiber-like structures that was fluorescent, thereby preserving the properties of intrinsic Au6 NCs over various length scales. The findings suggest that the synthesized gel underwent organized, periodic assembly and is chiral, sensitive, non-toxic, pseudoelastic, and would be very suitable for applications in the biomedical field.Description
Supervisor
Ikkala, OlliThesis advisor
Chandra, SourovKeywords
gold, nanoclusters, organogel, biomedical applications, self-assembly, chiral