Spectroscopic studies on in vitro molecular interaction of highly fluorescent carbon dots with different serum albumins

Abstract

Fluorescent Carbon Dots (CDs) have gained paramount interest in chemical biological and biomedical fields. In this work, in vitro molecular interaction of CDs with various serum albumins (Human serum albumins (HSA), Bovine serum albumins (BSA) and Rabbit serum albumins (RSA)) have been systematically studied by various spectroscopic techniques. Spherical and monodispersed CDs with an average diameter across of 10 nm successfully fabricated in water-(Polyethylene glycol) PEG medium utilizing glucose as carbon source. Thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of CDs with serum albumins (SA) have also been studied. The binding interaction between serum albumins (SA) and CDs were come about because of the complex formation of HSA-CDs, BSA-CDs and RSA-CDs. The altered Stern–Volmer quenching constant Ka at different temperatures and their comparing thermodynamic parameters ∆H, ∆G and ∆S were calculated. The binding location of CDs with SA is around site I (subdomain IIA) and substantial conformational changes at both secondary and tertiary structures level.