Carbon quantum dot-based fluorescent vesicles and chiral hydrogels with biosurfactant and biocompatible small molecule

Abstract

In recent years, it is heartening to witness that carbon quantum dots (CQDs), a rising star in the family of carbon nanomaterials, have displayed tremendous applications in bioimaging, biosensing, drug delivery, optoelectronics, photovoltaics and photocatalysis. However, the investigations toward self-assembly of CQDs are still in their infancy. The participation of CQDs can bring additional functions to supramolecular self-assemblies, with photoluminescent property as the most exciting aspect. Here, we introduce CQDs into two types of classic colloidal systems containing low molecular weight surfactant and gelator to construct fluorescent vesicles and chiral hydrogels. The CQD-based vesicles were constructed through electrostatic interaction between the positively charged CQDs with peripherally substituted imidazolium cations and a negatively-charged biosurfactant, i.e., sodium deoxycholate (NaDC). The chiral hydrogels were prepared by increasing the concentration of NaDC and addition of a tripeptide (glutathione, GSH). It was found that both the hydrogels and corresponding xerogels are highly photoluminescent. A solid sensing system was prepared by coating a uniform layer of the hydrogel onto the silica gel plates by doctor blade technique followed by air-drying, which was then utilized to semiquantitatively detect Cu2+ in aqueous solutions.

Multifunctional Properties of Commercial Bile Salts for Advanced Materials Engineering

“…Polypyrrole–Ag composites were prepared using sodium cholate as a template for the formation of rod‐like particles and a reducing agent for Ag. [ 37 ] The nanocomposite particles were utilized for the fabrication of dopamine sensors and selective sensing of acetone vapor. [ 37 ] Figure shows a schematic of the synthesis procedure, [37a] where sodium cholate was used as a reducing and dispersing agent for Ag NPs and a template for the formation of rod‐like morphology ( Figure ).…”

“…[ 37 ] The nanocomposite particles were utilized for the fabrication of dopamine sensors and selective sensing of acetone vapor. [ 37 ] Figure shows a schematic of the synthesis procedure, [37a] where sodium cholate was used as a reducing and dispersing agent for Ag NPs and a template for the formation of rod‐like morphology ( Figure ). In this procedure, the micellar aggregates of sodium cholate improved the solubilization of hydrophobic pyrrole monomers and facilitated polymerization.…”

DNA hydrogel-empowered biosensing

“…Carbon dots are small and luminescent carbon nanoparticles that in recent years have gained a lot of attention in the family of carbon nanomaterials due to their photostability, water solubility, biocompatibility, and excellent fluorescent properties. These nanomaterials have displayed tremendous applications in medicine, bioimaging, drug delivery, and biosensing [52,53]. In this way, Singh and coworkers encapsulated doxorubicin in a DNA-carbon dot (CD) hybrid that could be release in acidic pH (relevant to tumor microenvironment) through creating imotif structures (Fig.…”

The Chirality Induction and Modulation of Polymers by Circularly Polarized Light

“…Asymmetric conformation represents the chiral structure of biomacromolecules in living organisms on earth. Homochirality in biomolecular building blocks almost exclusively results in the use of only one enantiomer for the molecular architecture, such as the D-sugars of nucleic acids and L-amino acids of proteins [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. In the achiral environment, the chemical and physical properties of D-and L-enantiomers were not different except for tiny energy differences which can be attributed to the parity violation of the weak interactions.…”