DNA-embedded Au/Ag core–shell nanoparticles

Here, we synthesized highly stable DNA-embedded Au/Ag core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) by a straightforward silver-staining of DNA-modified Au nanoparticles (AuNPs); unlike conventional DNA-surface modified NPs that present particle stability issues, DNA-embedded core–shell NPs offer an extraordinary stability with nanoscale controllability of silver shell thickness; these DNA-embedded core–shell NPs show excellent biorecognition properties and Ag shell-thickness-based optical properties, distinctively different from those of a mixture of AuNPs and AgNPs or Ag/Au alloy nanoparticles.