Abstract
Herein we report the first example of a facile biomineralization process to produce ultra-small-sized highly fluorescent aqueous dispersions of platinum noble metal quantum clusters (Pt-NMQCs) using a multi-stimulus responsive, biomimetic intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), Rec1-resilin. We demonstrate that Rec1-resilin acts concurrently as the host, reducing agent, and stabilizer of the blue-green fluorescent Pt-NMQCs once they are being formed. The photophysical properties, quantum yield, and fluorescence lifetime measurements of the synthesized Pt-NMQCs were examined using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The oxidation state of the Pt-NMQCs was quantitatively analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Both a small angle X-ray scattering technique and a modeling approach have been attempted to present a detailed understanding of the structure and conformational dynamics of Rec1-resilin as an IDP during the formation of the Pt-NMQCs. It has been demonstrated that the green fluorescent Pt-NMQCs exhibit a high quantum yield of ~7.0% and a lifetime of ~9.5 ns in aqueous media. The change in photoluminescence properties due to the inter-dot interactions between proximal dots and aggregation of the Pt-NMQCs by evaporation was also measured spectroscopically and discussed.
Highlights
Metal nanoclusters (MNCs), comprised of only a few to a few tens of metal atoms, bridge the evolution of properties of isolated atoms to nanoparticles (NPs)
The as prepared blue fluorescent pristine Rec1-resilin solution (Pt)-noble metal quantum clusters (NMQCs)-Rec1-resilin nanobioconjugate dispersion was ultra-centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 5 min to remove any large
Pt-NPs formed. a Pt concentration of 145 mg/L was determined for the centrifuged supernatant using ICP-OES
Summary
Metal nanoclusters (MNCs), comprised of only a few to a few tens of metal atoms, bridge the evolution of properties of isolated atoms to nanoparticles (NPs). NMQCs can be designed to possess high electron density, large Stokes shift, chemical stability, biocompatibility, catalytic activity, electrocatalysis, and excellent photostability relative to other base metals, which make them the promising candidates for creating highly polarizable molecular scale metal QDs with strong optical responses in aqueous media [6,7]. They are an emerging area of nanoscience and are of significant interest in their optimization for a variety of applications in fluorescence detection, electroluminescent display, solid-state lighting, photovoltaics, catalysis, bio-markers, and biomedical applications [8,9,10,11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
