Interaction of quantum dots with organic photosensitizers in the presence of nano-organized structures

Author(s)

Gustavo Gimenez Parra

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2015-01-19

Examining board members

Iouri Borissevitch; Luciano Bachmann; Luciano Caseli; Amando Siuiti Ito; Sonia Renaux Wanderley Louro

• Advisor: Iouri Borissevitch

Abstract

The success of cancer treatment depends on the diagnosis and treatment in the early stages of the disease. This stimulates the research for new methods of sensitive diagnosis and technically simple treatment. Among these methods, the Optical Bioimaging by fluorescence (OBI) and Photochemotherapy (PCT) attract special attention, being non-invasive, sensitive and friendly use. The photosensitizers (PS) currently used in the OBI-PCT are organic dyes, which have some drawbacks such as photochemical instability and low selectivity. Quantum Dots (QD) are promising candidates to replace the classic PS being photostable, present broad and intensive spectrum of optical absorption and luminescence and, high quantum yield. Therefore the interaction between QDPS and the classic PS can increase the efficiency of both due to energy transfer between them. The aim of this work was to study the processes of organic PS interaction (porphyrins PPh, TMPyP and TPPS4) with QDs (CdTe and CdSe/ZnS), functionalized with different groups in aqueous solution and in the presence of nano-organized models of biological structures with order to evaluate its potential for use in Photochemotherapy and Optical Bioimaging. We devote special attention to energy transfer processes and cargo between the QDs and PS. The QDs effectively interact with PPh, whose interaction is manifested by changes in the intensity and profile of spectra and luminescence decay curves of QD and the porphyrin, the linear size of the scattering particles in the solution, the zeta potential among other spectroscopic and physical chemistry parameters. Within the homogeneous aqueous solutions, QD and Pph can form mixed aggregates (QD&PPh&QD) or simple (QD&PPh) and the interaction between them is carried out through short mechanisms and/or long range, depending on the functional group of the QD. However, the repulsive electrostatic interaction between the QD and another compound may stimulate the breakdown of QDs inducing the increase in the intensity of their luminescence and its lifetime, causing an increase in the contribution of long time decay of the luminescence associated with the surface of QD. These relationships between the type of interaction of the QD and PPh can be extrapolated to systems containing QD in the presence of nano-organized structures. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/20606-5 - Studies of the interaction of semiconductor nanocrystals (Quantum Dots) with organic photosensitizers in the presence of nano-organized structures - models of biological systems
• Grantee: Gustavo Gimenez Parra
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate