Metal-Organic Semiconductor Nanostructures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Tunable electric field enhancement and redox chemistry on TiO2 island films via covalent attachment to Ag or Au nanostructures

Abstract Ag-TiO2 and Au-TiO2 hybrid electrodes were designed by covalent attachment of TiO2 nanoparticles to Ag or Au electrodes via an organic linker. The optical and electronic properties of these systems were investigated using the cytochrome b5 (Cyt b5) domain of sulfite oxidase, exclusively attached to the TiO2 surface, as a Raman marker and model redox enzyme. Very strong SERR signals of Cyt b 5 were obtained for Ag-supported systems due to plasmonic field enhancement of Ag. Time-resolved surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopic measurements yielded a remarkably fast electron transfer kinetic (k = 60 s -1) of Cyt b5 to Ag. A much lower Raman intensity was observed for Au-supported systems with undefined and slow redox behavior. We explain this phenomenon on the basis of the different potential of zero charge of the two metals that largely influence the electronic properties of the TiO2 island film. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Regenerative silver nanoparticles for SERRS investigation of metmyoglobin with conserved heme pocket

Shell isolated silver nanoparticles with an ultrathin silica layer (Ag@SiO2NPs) are used as a surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) substrate for probing metmyoglobin (metMb) in aqueous solution. The ultrathin silica layer protects metMb from reaching the bare silver surface and conserves the heme pocket during SERRS analysis with a Raman enhancement factor (EFSERS) of 4.78 × 104. In spite of the good SERRS enhancement, the interaction between the protein and Ag@SiO2NPs is weak enough to separate them by centrifugation in such a way that both are regenerated in their original form and can be reused. Using Ag@SiO2NPs as the SERRS substrate, the lowest detection limit of 2 nM was achieved for metMb whilst conserving the native structure of the heme centre.

Plasmon-tuned silver colloids for SERRS analysis of methemoglobin with preserved nativity

Optically tuned silver nanoparticles (AgNP's) functionalized with ω-mercaptoalkanoic acids are synthesized and used as a signal amplifier for the surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) study of heme cofactor in methemoglobin (metHb). Even though both mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)- and mercaptononanoic acid (MNA)-functionalized AgNP's exemplify vastly enhanced SERRS signal of metHb, MNA-AgNP's amplify the SERRS signal amid preservation of the nativity of the heme pocket, unlike MPA-AgNP's. The electrostatic interaction between MNA-AgNP's and metHb leads to instant signal enhancement with a Raman enhancement factor (EF(SERS)) of 4.2 × 10(3). Additionally, a Langmuir adsorption isotherm has been employed for the adsorption of metHb on the MNA-AgNP surface, which provides the real surface coverage and equilibrium constant (K) of metHb as 139 nM and 3.6 × 10(8) M(-1), respectively. The lowest detection limit of 10 nM for metHb has been demonstrated using MNA-AgNP's besides retaining the nativity of the heme pocket.

Functionalized Ag nanoparticles with tunable optical properties for selective protein analysis

We present a preparation procedure for small sized biocompatibly coated Ag nanoparticles with tunable surface plasmon resonances. The conditions were optimised with respect to the resonance Raman signal enhancement of heme proteins and to the preservation of the native protein structure....

Electrochemical pathway for the quantification of SERS enhancement factor

This communication presents a new pathway for the more precise quantification of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement factor via deducing resonance Raman scattering (RRS) effect from surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS). To achieve this, a self-assembled monolayer of 1,8,15,22-tetraaminophthalocyanatocobalt(II) (4α-CoIITAPc) is formed on plasmon inactive glassy carbon (GC) and plasmon active GC/AuNPs surface. The surfaces are subsequently used as common probes for electrochemical and Raman (RRS and SERRS) studies. The most crucial parameters required for the quantification of SERS substrate enhancement factor (SSEF) such as real surface area of GC/AuNPs substarte and the number of 4α-CoIITAPc molecules contributing to RRS (on GC) and SERRS (on GC/AuNPs) are precisely estimated by cyclic voltammetry experiments. The present approach of SSEF quantification can be applied to varieties of surfaces by choosing an appropriate laser line and probe molecule for each surface.

Electrochemical tuning and mechanical resilience of single-wall carbon nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are fascinating systems exhibiting many novel physical properties. In this paper, we give a brief review of the structural, electronic, vibrational, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. In situ resonance Raman scattering of SWNTs investigated under electrochemical biasing demonstrates that the intensity of the radial breathing mode varies significantly in a nonmonotonic manner as a function of the cathodic bias voltage, but does not change appreciably under anodic bias. These results can be quantitatively understood in terms of the changes in the energy gaps between the 1 D van Hove singularities in the electron density of states, arising possibly due to the alterations in the overlap integral of pi bonds between the p-orbitals of the adjacent carbon atoms. In the second part of this paper, we review our high-pressure X-ray diffraction results, which show that the triangular lattice of the carbon nanotube bundles continues to persist up to similar to10 GPa. The lattice is seen to relax just before the phase transformation, which is observed at similar to10 GPa. Further, our results display the reversibility of the 2D lattice symmetry even after compression up to 13 GPa well beyond the 5 GPa value observed recently. These experimental results explicitly validate the predicted remarkable mechanical resilience of the nanotubes.

R6G单分子表面增强共振拉曼散射光谱探测研究

以共焦显微系统为平台，研究了不同浓度的R6G银溶胶的表面增强共振拉曼散射（SERRS）光谱，结果表明不同浓度溶液中的R6G分子表现出了不同的光谱特性。在浓度为10^-13mol·L^-1的R6G银溶胶中得到了R6G单分子的表面增强共振拉曼散射光谱，观察到了一些光谱非均匀变化现象，如谱色散、谱线的强度起伏、拉曼谱的偏振化以及分子的闪烁等，并对这些现象进行了分析，证明得到的是R6G单分子的SERRS光谱。文章还对单分子检测中的一些关键问题进行了分析与讨论，确定了单分子SERRS光谱检测的适当条件。

Synthesis and spectroscopy of ruthenium-modified nucleic acids

Redox-active probes are designed and prepared for use in DNA-mediated electron transfer studies. These probes consist of ruthenium(II) complexes bound to nucleosides that possess metal-binding ligands. Low- and high-potential oxidants are synthesized from these modified nucleosides and display reversible one-electron electrochemical behavior. The ruthenium-modified nucleosides exhibit distinct charge-transfer transitions in the visible region that resemble those of appropriate model complexes. Resonance Raman and time-resolved emission spectroscopy are used to characterize the nature of these transitions.

The site-specific incorporation of these redox-active probes into oligonucleotides is explored using post-synthetic modification and solid-phase synthetic methods. The preparation of the metal-binding nucleosides, their incorporation into oligonucleotides, and characterization of the resulting oligonucleotides is described. Because the insertion of these probes into modified oligonucleotides using post-synthetic modification is unsuccessful, solid-phase synthetic methods are explored. These efforts lead to the first report of 3'-metallated oligonucleotides prepared completely by automated solid-phase synthesis. Preliminary efforts to prepare a bis-metallated oligonucleotide by automated synthesis are described.

The electrochemical, absorption, and emissive features of the ruthenium-modified oligonucleotides are unchanged from those of the precursor metallonucleoside. The absence of any change in these properties upon incorporation into oligonucleotides and subsequent hybridization suggests that the incorporated ruthenium(II) complex is a valuable probe for DNA-mediated electron transfer studies.

光系统Ⅱ核心天线复合物CP43和CP47的分离纯化及其光谱学特性的研究

应用改进DEAE-Toyopearl 650S阴离子交换柱层析从高等植物菠菜(Spinacia oleracea)中分离纯化了核心天线复合物CP43和CP47。并对它们的纯度和完整性色素种类和含量，以及色素分子的结合状态进行了研究并对色素分子间的能量传递机制进行了讨论。结果如下： 1、HPLC检测结果表明：纯化的CP43和CP47均只含Chla和β-Car两种色素分子，并且，平均每分子CP43多肽含19-20分子Chla和4-5分子β-Car;而平均每分CP47则含20-21分子Chla和3-4分子β-Car。 2、以436nm和480nm激发光激发样品得到的CP43和CP47的低温荧光发射光谱的最大荧光发射峰分别位于683nm和693nm。进一步发现，CP43和CP47，在相同条件下分别以436nm和480nm激发光激发样品得到的低温荧光发射光谱经归一化后几乎完全重叠，而且400-500nm波长范围内的激发光扫描得到的三维低温荧光发射光谱沿激发轴具有较好的对应关系，表明纯化的CP43和CP47都具有较高的完整性。 3、纯化的CP43和CP47的吸收光谱的红区最大吸收峰分别位于671nm和674nm。该光区的导数光谱均分辨出偏蓝区和偏红区两个子峰，CP43的这两个子峰分别位于669nm和682nm;而CP47的两个子峰则分别位于669nm和680nm。进一步用包含这两个子峰的高斯解析参数对红区最大吸收峰进行拟合，结果证明，拟合的曲线与实测曲线几乎完全吻合，这表明，CP43和CP47均至少包含两种不同状态的Chla分子。 3．1应用不同的变性温度处理CP43，发现随变性温度的不断提高，其红区最大吸收峰的峰值逐渐减小，四阶导数光谱分辨出的两个子峰同时减小，但差光谱显示：随处理温度的不断提高，这两个组分峰值的变化并不同步进行，较低温度范围内(55℃以下)682nm吸收峰下降明显，而较高温度范围内(55℃以上)，669nm吸收峰下降明显。 同时，随处理温度不断提高CP43脱辅基蛋白的结构也在不断发生变化，其变化过程明显表现出两个跃变阶段。这两个跃变阶段分别出现在40～50℃范围内和55～60℃范围内，恰与吸收光谱两个组分峰变化的转变过程相一致。这证明，CP43中分别位于669nm和682nm的不同的色谱组分即代表两种不同结合态的Chla分子，分别简称为“CP43-669”和“CP43-682”。它们在色素蛋白复合物中所处的环境不同，因而对蛋白质结构的依赖性不同，前者更高地依赖于蛋白复合物的整体构象，而后者则主要依赖于蛋白质的二级结构。 3.2 经不同的变性温度处理的CP47，其红区最大吸收峰的峰位逐渐蓝移，而吸收峰值无明显的变化，只有当处理温度提高到65℃以后，蓝移后的吸收峰值(669nm)才开始明显减小;四阶导数光谱表现为680nm吸收峰的信号逐渐下降669nm的吸收信号逐渐明显;处理减对照差光谱只观察到680nm吸收值的逐渐减少，而几乎观察不到669nm吸收值的变化。同时，随变性温度的不断提高，CP47的脱辅基蛋白的结构也发生相应的变化与CP43不同，蛋白结构变化最大的温度范围为60℃～65℃之间，但同CP47的峰位蓝移、导数光谱中680nm信号的减小，以及差光谱中680nm吸收值的减小相一致。由此认为，同CP43一样，CP47的吸收光谱中分辨出的分别位于669nm和680nm处的两个不同光谱组分亦分别代表两种不同结合状态的Chla分子，分别简称为“CP47-669”和“CP47-680”，与CP43中的相应组分对应，它们处于不同的蛋白环境中，从而对蛋白质结构变化的依赖性不同。 3.3 CP43和CP47的CD光谱表现出明显的正负双峰，表明色素分子间存在较强的激子相互作用。随变性温度的不断提高，正负CD双峰的信号逐渐减弱，变化过程与脱辅基蛋白结构的变化以及CP43-682的变化相一致，表明色素分子间的激子相互作用更高依赖于CP43-682和CP47-680。并认为CP43-682和CP47-680可能以二聚体或多聚体的形式存在，并且二聚体或多聚体的形成依赖于蛋白天然构象。而CP43-669和CP47-669则以单体的形式位于蛋白结构中相对伸展的区域。并提出：在CP43-682以CP47-680分子之间，激发能主要以激子偶合机制进行而在CP43-669，CP47-669分子间及CP43-669至CP43-682间，CP47-669至CP47-680之间激发能则主要以Foster机制进行。 4、以488nm激发光得到的CP43和CP47的共振拉曼光谱都具有全反式构型类胡萝卜素分子的四个典型特征峰由此认为CP43和CP47中的β-Car分子亦具有全反式构型;与溶于丙酮抽体物中的β-Car分子相比较，CP43和CP47中的β-Car分子的共振拉曼光谱中具有较强的960cm~(-1)的拉曼峰，表明，CP43和CP47中的β-Car分子具有扭曲的构象。 应用经归一化后的吸收光谱与荧光激发光谱相比较的办法发现CP43和CP47中存在β-Car分子和Chla分子间的能量传递其能量传递效率分别为29.8～29.9%和52.3～56.9%。这表明，在正常条件下，CP47中β-Car分子和Chla分子间的能量传递效率远大于CP43。此外，当选用蛋白结构变化最明显的热变性温度处理样品后，发现，不论CP43还是CP47中β-Car与Chla分子间的能量传递效率大大降低，表明，这两种色素分子间的能量传递严格依赖于蛋白复合物的天然构象，并认为，正常条件下，CP43和CP47内β-Car与Chla分子间的空间距离较近，可能不大于10A，CP43和CP47相比较，CP47内这两种色素分子间的距离更近。并进一步提出，在CP43和CP47中，β-Car到Chla分子间的能量传递最大可能以Dexter的电子交换机制进行。

The electrochemical behavior of a system with a limited number of molecules

In this paper, based on Einstein relationship between diffusion and random walk, the electrochemical behavior of a system with a limited number of molecules was simulated and explored theoretically. The transition of the current vs time responses from discrete to continuous was clearly obtained as the number of redox molecules increased from 10 to 10(6).

UV-vis spectrophotometric titrations and vibrational spectroscopic characterization of meso-(p-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrins

Sequentially spectrophotometric titrations by sodium hydroxide of meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives bearing one, two, three, or four p-hydroxyl groups result in new types of spectra. The strong new bands appear in the visible region with splitting or broadening of the Soret band and its significant loss of oscillator strength. To understand the molecular origin of these phenomena, the Resonance Raman (RR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) experiments are carried out. The results demonstrate that the charges of the deprotonated para-hydroxy substituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins are localized on the substituents, not delocalized into the pi system of the porphyrin macrocycles and that the ground states of the macrocycles remain essentially unperturbed. Both the related behavior of diprotonated tetrakis(p-(dimethylamino)phenyl) porphyrin and protonated Schiff base porphyrins show that the new bands considered as hyperporphyrin spectra are due to pi(phenoxide anion) --> pi*(porphyrin) transitions, where pi is an orbital on the phenoxide anion substitutent and pi* is a LUMO on the porphyrin.

pH-dependent conformational changes of ferricytochrome c induced by electrode surface microstructure

pH-dependent processes of bovine heart ferricytochrome c have been investigated by electronic absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra at functionalized single-wall carbon 'nanotubes (SWNTs) modified glass carbon electrode (SWNTs/ GCE) using a long optical path thin layer cell. These methods enabled the pH-dependent conformational changes arising from the heme structure change to be monitored. The spectra obtained at functionalized SWNTs/GCE reflect electrode surface microstructure-dependent changes for pH-induced protein conformation, pK(a) of alkaline transition and structural microenvironment of the ferricytochrome c heme. pH-dependent conformational distribution curves of ferricytochrome c obtained by analysis of in situ CD spectra using singular value decomposition least square (SVDLS) method show that the functionalized SWNTs can retain native conformational stability of ferricytochrome c during alkaline transition.

Structural stability and electronic state of transition metal trimers

Ground state geometries were searched for transition metal trimers Sc-3, Y-3, La-3, Lu-3, Ti-3, Zr-3, and Hf-3 by density functional methods. For all the studied trimers, our calculation indicates that the ground state geometries are either equilateral triangle (Zr-3 and Hf-3) or near equilateral triangle (Ti-3, Sc-3, Y-3, La-3, and Lu-3). For rare earth trimers Sc-3, Y-3, La-3, and Lu-3, isosceles triangle (near equilateral triangle) at quartet state is the ground state. Isosceles triangle at doublet state is the competitive candidate for the ground state. For Zr-3 and Hf-3, equilateral triangle at singlet state is the most stable. For Ti-3, isosceles triangle (near equilateral triangle) at quintet state gives the ground state. For Sc-3, Zr-3, and Hf-3, where experimental results are available, the predicted geometries are in agreement with experiment in which the ground state is equilateral triangle (Zr-3) or fluxional (Sc-3 and Hf-3). For Y-3, the calculated geometry is in agreement with experimental observation and previous theoretical study that Y-3 is a bent molecule for the ground state.

Density-functional study of lanthanum, ytterbium, and lutetium dimers

La-2, Yb-2, and Lu-2 have been studied by use of the density-functional methods B3LYP, BLYP, B3PW91, BHLYP, BP86, B3P86, MPW1PW91, and PBE1PBE. In these density-functional methods, the exchange functional is from either Becke's three-parameter HF-DFT hybrid exchange functional (B3), pure DFT exchange functional of 1988 (B), a modification of the half-and-half HF/DFT hybrid method (BH), Perdew-Wang 1991 (PW91), or Barone's modified PW91 (MPW1), while the correlation functional is from either Lee, Yang, and Parr (LYP), Perdew-Wang 1991 (PW91), or Perdew 86 (P86). PBE1PBE is the generalized-gradient-approximation exchange-correlation functional of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof. For La-2, the calculated bond distance is in reasonable agreement with the experiment, but the calculated vibrational frequency is underestimated significantly compared with the experiment. Only BP86 and B3P86 have the best performance in reproducing the experimental dissociation energy for La-2. For the van der Waals dimer Yb-2, three functionals, B3LYP, BLYP, and BHLYP have excellent performance in reproducing the spectroscopic constants compared with both the experiment and previous theoretical studies.