A Silver(I)‐Estrogen Nanocluster: GSH Sensitivity and Targeting Suppression on HepG2 Cell

A structure‐determined silver nanocluster of [Ag 10 (Eth) 4 (CF 3 COO) 6 (CH 3 OH) 3 ]·3C­H 3 OH (Eth = ethisterone) ( 1 ), is firstly demonstrated by self‐assembly of silver salt and ethisterone. Due to the thiophilicity of silver(I) ions, complex 1 shows reactivity with glutathione (GSH) molecules in solution and induces the fluorescence quenching behavior. Thus, complex 1 can be used as a fluorescent sensor for GSH. In consideration of the higher level of GSH in cancerous cells, complex 1 presents significant tumor suppression reactivity toward the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells with IC 50 value of 165 × 10 −9 m . Especially, complex 1 displays 3.4‐fold higher in vitro cytotoxicity to HepG2 cells than that of the normal CCC‐HEL‐1 cells, which makes complex 1 a potential targeting suppression agent for cancerous cells. The molecular design of complex 1 not only generates a new medicine‐silver(I) cluster family, but also opens a new avenue to the targeting anticancer organosilver(I) materials.