A Simple Entropic-Driving Separation Procedure of Low-Size Silver Clusters, Through Interaction with DNA

Abstract Synthesis and purification of metal clusters without strong binding agents by wet chemical methods are very attractive for their potential applications in many research areas. However, especially challenging is the separation of uncharged clusters with only a few number of atoms, which renders the usual techniques very difficult to apply. Herein, we report the first efficient separation of Ag2 and Ag3 clusters using the different entropic driving forces when such clusters interact with DNA, into which Ag3 selectively intercalates. After sequential dialysis of the samples and denaturalizing the DNA‐Ag3 complex, pure Ag2 can be found in the dialysate after extensive dialysis. Free Ag…

Silver Atomic Quantum Clusters of Three Atoms for Cancer Therapy: Targeting Chromatin Compaction to Increase the Therapeutic Index of Chemotherapy

Nanomaterials with very low atomicity deserve consideration as potential pharmacological agents owing to their very small size and to their properties that can be precisely tuned with minor modifications to their size. Here, it is shown that silver clusters of three atoms (Ag3 -AQCs)-developed by an ad hoc method-augment chromatin accessibility. This effect only occurs during DNA replication. Coadministration of Ag3 -AQCs increases the cytotoxic effect of DNA-acting drugs on human lung carcinoma cells. In mice with orthotopic lung tumors, the coadministration of Ag3 -AQCs increases the amount of cisplatin (CDDP) bound to the tumor DNA by fivefold without modifying CDDP levels in normal tiss…

Nanomedicine: Silver Atomic Quantum Clusters of Three Atoms for Cancer Therapy: Targeting Chromatin Compaction to Increase the Therapeutic Index of Chemotherapy (Adv. Mater. 33/2018)