Interaction of Prussian blue nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin: a multi-spectroscopic approach

Owning to their exceptional properties, Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) are promising in a variety of biomedical applications. In this scenario, understanding of how PBNPs interact and behave in biological systems is essential. Herein, the interaction of PBNPs with protein was investigated. Specifically, the citric acid stabilized PBNPs with a size of 10 nm were synthesized and characterized. The interactions of these PBNPs with the model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), were then probed by spectroscopic methods. It was found that the BSA intrinsic fluorescence was quenched upon addition of PBNPs due to the static interaction, suggesting the binding of PBNPs with BSA. Moreover, the synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra indicated the conformational change of BSA due to the presence of PBNPs.