Ligand exchange in chiral gold nanorods synthesized with 1,12- binaphthyl-2,22-diamine for subsequent cationic dye attachment

• Grant number: 24/03168-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 29, 2024
• End date: November 28, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Iseli Lourenço Nantes Cardoso
• Grantee: Victor Hladkyi Toledo
• Supervisor: Luis Manuel Liz Marzan
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade de Vigo, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/10315-0 - Photochemical and photophysical properties of methylene blue in the microenvironments provided by functionalized gold nanostructures, BP.DD

Abstract

Metal nanoparticles exhibit a property known as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) that leads to very strong visible light-matter interactions. When these nanomaterials are synthesized with a chiral morphology, the introduced asymmetry enables selective interaction with left- or right-circularly polarized light. Chiral metal nanoparticles, at the forefront of nanotechnology, offer unique optical properties, making them attractive for applications in biosensing, surface-enhanced spectroscopy, photochemistry, and more. Recent advancements involve the development of hybrid nanostructures by functionalizing gold nanoparticles with organic chiral and achiral molecules, enhancing their versatility. Some studies have showed that gold chiral nanoparticles functionalized with achiral dyes modulated the dye photoactivity and triggered a selective response to left- or right-circularly polarized light. Based on these findings, this proposal focuses on the synthesis of chiral gold nanorods (AuNRs) functionalized with (R)-(+)/(S)-(-)1,12-binaphthyl-2,22-diamine (R-/S-BINAMINE), as a primary chiral inducer, followed by ligand exchange processes to produce three distinct hybrid chiral nanomaterials. Ultimately, the presence of the chiral ligand R-/S-BINAMINE and an achiral ligand such as 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) contributes to the formation of a hydrophobic microenvironment at the nanorod surface. Additional ligand exchange with D-cysteine and MUA introduces negative charges, thereby facilitating interactions with cationic aromatic dyes. This study aims to create a nanomaterial that can help deepen the understanding of synergistic effects between chiral interfaces and achiral photoactive materials, and exploring their potential applications, particularly in the fields of photochemical and photophysical processes.