This project will investigate the molecular structures and photophysical properties of small metallic nanoparticles encapsulated in nucleic acids, termed DNA-templated silver nanoclusters. Silver nanoclusters are fascinating fluorescent nanomaterials whose colors often respond to subtle changes in their surrounding chemical environment, making them novel sensors for detection of small molecules (e.g., adenosine triphosphate) and heavy metals (e.g., mercury and copper). However, it is not known how silver nanoclusters interact with these analytes and change their physical or chemical properties. In addition, it is not understood why certain silver cluster species respond strongly to specific small-molecule analytes but not to other similar compounds. The project seeks to answer these fundamental questions, with the end goal to achieve molecular and atomic level understanding of silver nanocluster sensors. Understanding the nanoscale interactions of silver nanoclusters will also create new tools for diverse biological and chemical applications, such as detection of chemicals. The principal investigators will work with local K-12 students in an outreach program named “Exploring Nanomedicine and Lightâ€. The goal of the outreach is to intrigue the students to develop new tools based on the new understanding of silver nanoclusters and encourage them into a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics path in their college education.
Future development of nanosensors is hampered by the scarcity of functional nanomaterials that can be programmed to respond to specific analytes. Professors Yeh and Brodbelt are using novel experimental (chip-based high-throughput selection) and analytical (activated electron photodetachment mass spectrometry) approaches to screen a large number of silver nanocluster species and develop a fundamental understanding of their interactions with host ligands, small-molecule analytes and heavy metals. The principal investigators will also take advantage of deep neural networks to classify the silver clusters’ responses to analytes and perform atomistic modeling of silver nanoclusters. Silver nanoclusters present new opportunities for small-molecule and heavy metal sensing because of their special chemical, physical and optical properties. The transformative integration of analytical chemistry, high-throughput screening, photophysical characterization and deep learning classification will not only allow the hypothesis to be tested (analyte binding reshapes silver cluster’s electronic structure through rearranging the nucleobases around the silver cluster) but also enable the creation of a versatile toolkit for numerous applications, including detection of signaling molecules and sensing of pollution. The principal investigators will work with local K-12 students in an outreach program named “Exploring Nanomedicine and Lightâ€. The goal of the outreach is to intrigue the students to develop new tools based on the new understanding of silver nanoclusters and encourage them into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics path in their college education.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
