The marvels of DNA templated gold nanoclusters: Nature's miracle materials

At the crossroads of nanotechnology and biotechnology, DNA-templated gold nanoclusters (DNA@AuNCs) have emerged as a revolutionary class of materials, leading the way to unlock a wide arena of exciting applications. The unique properties of DNA as a biological template, along with those special optical and electronic features contributed by gold nanoclusters, have been attracting huge interest from the scientific community due to their significance. In this review, we have discussed the basic properties of gold nanoclusters, their characteristics, unique features using DNA as a template, and their wide-ranging applications. To understand the fundamental properties of gold nanoclusters, we have provided an overview of their applications, with a focus on using DNA as a template. We have summarized, how these DNA@AuNCs have been modeled for their applications in fluorescence imaging, photothermal therapy and biosensing etc. These developments are expected to transform environmental monitoring, medicine, and diagnostics into highly fascinating DNA-based nanotechnology phases. Finally, it points towards the future, where DNA@AuNCs will inspire more research for increasing their applications in interdisciplinary fields.