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23 Apr 2024 • Preprint • ChemRxiv
Fluorophore Concentration Controls the Homo-FRET Efficiency and Directionality across Proteins both in Solution and in Solid Protein Matrices
AbstractLight harvesting in nature is one of the most important processes, starting with the absorption of light by chromophores within proteins and the transfer of energy from one another via the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism. If the energy is transferred between identical chromophores, the resulting is Homo-FRET. Here, we introduce an artificial system
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13 Feb 2024 • Journal Article • ACS Nano
Solid-State Molecular Protonics Devices of Solid-Supported Biological Membranes Reveal the Mechanism of Long-Range Lateral Proton Transport
AbstractLateral proton transport (PT) on the surface of biological membranes is a fundamental biochemical process in the bioenergetics of living cells, but a lack of available experimental techniques has resulted in a limited understanding of its mechanism. Here, we present a molecular protonics experimental approach to investigate lateral PT across membranes by measuring
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12 Feb 2024 • Journal Article • Chemistry – A European Journal
Controlling pH-Sensitive Chemical Reactions Pathways with Light - a Tale of Two Photobases: an Arrhenius and a Brønsted
AbstractLight-gated chemical reactions allow spatial and temporal control of chemical processes. Here, we suggest a new system for controlling pH-sensitive processes with light using two photobases of Arrhenius and Brønsted types. Only after light excitation do Arrhenius photobases undergo hydroxide ion dissociation, while Brønsted photobases capture a proton. However, none
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8 Feb 2024 • Preprint • bioRxiv
The interplay between proton diffusion across biological membranes and their biophysical properties highlights the role of defects in mixed lipid membranes
AbstractProton circuits within biological membranes are at the heart of natural bioenergetic systems, whereas different biological membranes are characterized by different lipid compositions. In this study, we investigate how the composition of mixed lipid membranes influences the proton transfer (PT) properties of the membrane by following the excited-state PT (ESPT) process
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30 Jan 2024 • Journal Article • Nano Letters
Light-Triggered Reversible Change in the Electronic Structure of MoO3 Nanosheets via an Excited-State Proton Transfer Mechanism
AbstractLight is an attractive source of energy for regulating stimulus-responsive chemical systems. Here, we use light as a gating source to control the redox state, the localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) peak, and the structure of molybdenum oxide (MoO3) nanosheets, which are important for various applications. However, the light excitation is not that of the MoO3
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26 Dec 2023 • Journal Article • The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Light-Triggered Enhancement of Fluorescence Efficiency in Organic Cages
AbstractThe fluorescence efficiency of excited molecules can be enhanced by many external factors. Here, we showcase a surprising phenomenon whereby light is used as a gating source to increase the fluorescence efficiency of organic cages composed of biphenyl subunits. We show that the enhancement of fluorescence is not due to structural changes or ground-state events
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29 Nov 2023 • Preprint • ChemRxiv
Solid-state lateral proton conduction via solid-supported biological membranes reveals the role of membrane structure and bound water in proton transport
AbstractLateral proton transport (PT) on the surface of biological membranes is a fundamental biochemical process in the bioenergetics of living cells, but a lack of available experimental techniques has resulted in a limited understanding of its mechanism. Here, we introduce a new molecular protonics experimental approach to investigate lateral PT across membranes by measuring
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1 Nov 2023 • Preprint
A dual photobase system for directing the pathway of pH-sensitive chemical reactions with light
AbstractLight-gated chemical reactions allow spatial and temporal control of chemical processes. Here, we suggest a new system for controlling pH-sensitive processes with light using two photobases of Arrhenius and Brønsted types. Only after light excitation do Arrhenius photobases undergo hydroxide ion dissociation, while Brønsted photobases capture a proton. However, none
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14 Sep 2023 • Journal Article • The Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Photocurrent Generation in Artificial Light-Harvesting Protein Matrices
AbstractLight-harvesting is at the heart of photocurrent generation devices, and it is also one of the most important natural phenomena of which photosynthesis is an example. Inspired by natural light-harvesting complexes, we present here a synthetic and artificial solid-state protein-based matrix that is molecularly doped with natural light-harvesting chlorophyll molecules
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12 Sep 2023 • Journal Article • ACS Nano
Excitation-Dependent Fluorescence with Excitation-Selective Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Hierarchically Organized Atomic Nanoclusters
AbstractNanometer-scaled objects are known to have dimension-related properties, but sometimes the assembly of such objects can lead to the emergence of other properties. Here, we show the assembly of atomically precise gold nanoclusters into large fibrillar structures that are featuring excitation-dependent luminescence with an excitation-selective circularly polarized
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1 Sep 2023 • Journal Article • Biomacromolecules
Proton Transport Across Collagen Fibrils and Scaffolds: The Role of Hydroxyproline
AbstractCollagen is one of the most studied proteins due to its fundamental role in creating fibrillar structures and supporting tissues in our bodies. Accordingly, collagen is also one of the most used proteins for making tissue-engineered scaffolds for various types of tissues. To date, the high abundance of hydroxyproline (Hyp) within collagen is commonly ascribed to the
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2 Aug 2023 • Journal Article • ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Molecular-Doped Protein-Based Elastomers as a Versatile Platform for Energy-Transfer Studies and Emissive Down-Converting Polymers for Light-Emitting Applications
AbstractMuch effort is being employed for designing “green” environmental emissive materials that are capable of color-tuning, i.e., down-converting the emission, and white-light generation (WLG). Here, we introduce a protein-based elastomer that can noncovalently bind a variety of chromophores while preventing their aggregation. Such binding capabilities are unique to the
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11 Jul 2023 • Journal Article • Chemistry – A European Journal
Robust Biosensor Based on Carbon Nanotubes/Protein Hybrid Electrolyte Gated Transistors
AbstractSemiconducting single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are promising materials for biosensing applications with electrolyte-gated transistors (EGT). However, to be employed in EGT devices, SWCNTs often require lengthy solution-processing fabrication techniques. Here, we introduce a simple solution-based method that allows fabricating EGT devices from stable dispersions
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10 Jul 2023 • Journal Article • Angewandte Chemie
Photocurrent Generation and Polarity Switching in Electrochemical Cells through Light-induced Excited State Proton Transfer of Photoacids and Photobases
AbstractLight is a common source of energy in sustainable technologies for photocurrent generation. To date, in such light-harvesting applications, the excited electrons generate the photocurrent. Here, we introduce a new mechanism for photocurrent generation that is based on excited state proton transfer (ESPT) of photoacids and photobases that can donate or accept a proton
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28 Jun 2023 • Journal Article • Small
Solid-State Electron Transport Through Carbon Dots Junctions: The Role of Boron and Phosphorus Doping
AbstractCarbon dots (CDs) are a new class of nanoparticles that gained widespread attention recently because of their easy preparation, water solubility, biocompatibility, and bright luminescence, leading to their integration in various applications. Despite their nm-scale and proven electron transfer capabilities, the solid-state electron transport (ETp) across single
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13 Mar 2023 • Journal Article • Biomacromolecules
Glycoproteins as a Platform for Making Proton-Conductive Free-Standing Biopolymers
AbstractBiopolymers are an attractive environmentally friendly alternative to common synthetic polymers, whereas primarily proteins and polysaccharides are the biomacromolecules that are used for making the biopolymer. Due to the breadth of side chains of such biomacromolecules capable of participating in hydrogen bonding, proteins and polysaccharide biopolymers were also used
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22 Feb 2023 • Journal Article • Small
The Role of Surface Groups in Dictating the Chiral-Solvent-Induced Assembly of Carbon Dots into Structures Exhibiting Circularly Polarized Luminescence
AbstractHere, the use of achiral nanoparticles and solvent-induced chirality transfer is combined for the making of large structures exhibiting chiroptical properties in the form of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The nanoparticles that the authors use are carbon dots (C-Dots) that are known for their bright luminescence and the ability to tune their surface moieties
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5 Jan 2023 • Patent • Applied at: WO, US
Protein-based films
AbstractProtein based highly stretchable compositions with ionic conductivity are disclosed herein. Methods for preparing such compositions are also disclosed.
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20 Sep 2022 • Journal Article • Accounts of Chemical Research
The Dual Use of the Pyranine (HPTS) Fluorescent Probe: A Ground-State pH Indicator and an Excited-State Proton Transfer Probe
AbstractMolecular fluorescent probes are an essential experimental tool in many fields, ranging from biology to chemistry and materials science, to study the localization and other environmental properties surrounding the fluorescent probe. Thousands of different molecular fluorescent probes can be grouped into different families according to their photophysical properties
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1 Sep 2022 • Journal Article • Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Mixed ionic–electronic conductance across naphthalenediimide-functionalized biopolymers
AbstractMixed ionic–electronic conductive polymers are gaining high momentum for several electronic and bioelectronic applications. These polymers are composed of a synthetic conjugated polymer for electronic conduction and a synthetic ionomer for the ionic one. To make these materials more environmentally sustainable, much effort is being put in replacing synthetic polymers
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