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Enhanced Fluorescence for Bioassembly by Environment‐Switching Doping of Metal Ions
Author(s) -
Tao Kai,
Chen Yu,
Orr Asuka A.,
Tian Zhen,
Makam Pandeeswar,
Gilead Sharon,
Si Mingsu,
RencusLazar Sigal,
Qu Songnan,
Zhang Mingjun,
Tamamis Phanourios,
Gazit Ehud
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201909614
Subject(s) - materials science , fluorescence , doping , metal ions in aqueous solution , ion , supramolecular chemistry , metal , nanotechnology , amorphous solid , biomolecule , zinc , self assembly , photochemistry , chemical physics , molecule , crystallography , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , optics , physics , metallurgy
The self‐assembly of cyclodipeptides composed of natural aromatic amino acids into supramolecular structures of diverse morphologies with intrinsic emissions in the visible light region is demonstrated. The assembly process can be halted at the initial oligomerization by coordination with zinc ions, with the most prominent effect observed for cyclo‐dihistidine (cyclo‐HH). This process is mediated by attracting and pulling of the metal ions from the solvent into the peptide environment, rather than by direct interaction in the solvent as commonly accepted, thus forming an “environment‐switching” doping mechanism. The doping induces a change of cyclo‐HH molecular configurations and leads to the formation of pseudo “core/shell” clusters, comprising peptides and zinc ions organized in ordered conformations partially surrounded by relatively amorphous layers, thus significantly enhancing the emissions and allowing the application of the assemblies for ecofriendly color‐converted light emitting diodes. These findings shed light into the very initial coordination procedure and elucidate an alternative mechanism of metal ions doping on biomolecules, thus presenting a promising avenue for integration of the bioorganic world and the optoelectronic field.