Crystal structure of a NIR-Emitting DNA-Stabilized Ag16Nanocluster.
Cerretani, C., Kanazawa, H., Vosch, T., Kondo, J.(2019) Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 58: 17153-17157
- PubMed: 31411360 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201906766
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6JR4 - PubMed Abstract: 
DNA has been used as a scaffold to stabilize small, atomically monodisperse silver nanoclusters, which have attracted attention due to their intriguing photophysical properties. Herein, we describe the X-ray crystal structure of a DNA-encapsulated, near-infrared emitting Ag 16 nanocluster (DNA-Ag 16 NC). The asymmetric unit of the crystal contains two DNA-Ag 16 NCs and the crystal packing between the DNA-Ag 16 NCs is promoted by several interactions, such as two silver-mediated base pairs between 3'-terminal adenines, two phosphate-Ca 2+ -phosphate interactions, and π-stacking between two neighboring thymines. Each Ag 16 NC is confined by two DNA decamers that take on a horse-shoe-like conformation and is almost fully shielded from the solvent environment. This structural insight will aid in the determination of the structure/photophysical property relationship for this class of emitters and opens up new research opportunities in fluorescence imaging and sensing using noble-metal clusters.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry and NanoScience Center, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.