Single- and two-photon-induced Förster resonance energy transfer in InP-mCherry bioconjugates

Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) have recently garnered considerable interest in the design of bioprobes due to their non-toxic nature and excellent optical properties. Several attempts for the conjunction of InP QDs with various entities such as organic dyes and dye-labeled proteins have been reported, while that with fluorescent proteins remains largely uncharted. This study reports the development of a Förster resonance energy transfer pair comprising glutathione-capped InP/GaP/ZnS QDs [InP(G)] and the fluorescent protein mCherry. Glutathione on InP(G) undergoes effective bioconjugation with mCherry consisting of a hexahistidine tag, and the nonradiative energy transfer is investigated using steady-state and time-resolved measurements. Selective one-photon excitation of InP(G) in the presence of mCherry shows a decay of the emission of the QDs and a concomitant growth of acceptor emission. Time-resolved investigations prove the nonradiative transfer of energy between InP(G) and mCherry. Furthermore, the scope of two-photon-induced energy transfer between InP(G) and mCherry is investigated by exciting the donor in the optical transparency range. The two-photon absorption is confirmed by the quadratic relationship between the emission intensity and the excitation power. In general, near-infrared excitation provides a path for effective light penetration into the tissues and reduces the photodamage of the sample. The two-photon-induced energy transfer in such assemblies could set the stage for a wide range of biological and optoelectronic applications in the foreseeable future.

Excited-State Dynamics in 4-[4'(Dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine, a Photobase: Role of Photoinitiated Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer

The photoinitiated proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process in photoacid-based adducts is predominantly governed by the evolution of the electron-proton transfer state. However, such a process is underexplored in the case of photobases as the excited states evolve through multiple competitive channels. Here, we elucidate the excited-state dynamics of a photobase, 4-[4'-(dimethylamino)styryl]pyridine (DMASP), in the presence of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) that enables PCET. Transient absorption measurements show the evolution of a protonated species in the excited state with a time constant of ∼2.5 ps. Fluorescence upconversion measurements reveal the signatures of an emissive intramolecular charge transfer state and a protonated state. The role of such states is further confirmed by time-resolved measurements in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid and computational analysis. Furthermore, the proton-abstraction dynamics of DMASP is analyzed in bulk methanol and butanol solvents. The extent of proton abstraction by DMASP is found to be higher in the presence of HFIP when compared with the normal alcohols over a time period of a few picoseconds.