Light-fueled transient supramolecular assemblies in water as fluorescence modulators
Xu-Man Chen1, Xiao-Fang Hou2, Hari Krishna Bisoyi3
1Institute of Advanced Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Nature Communications
|August 18, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed a novel light-fueled dissipative self-assembly system using light-induced amphiphiles. This system creates transient supramolecular nanoparticles that assemble with light and disassemble in the dark, showing potential for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Dissipative self-assembly is crucial for biological systems, requiring continuous fuel input to maintain non-equilibrium states.
- Light, the natural fuel for dissipative self-assembly, presents challenges for artificial systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer an artificial dissipative self-assembly system driven by light.
- To investigate the properties and applications of light-induced amphiphile-based assemblies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized protonated sulfonato-merocyanine and chitosan components in aqueous solution.
- Employed light irradiation to induce supramolecular nanoparticle assembly.
- Observed spontaneous disassembly in the dark via thermal back relaxation.
- Incorporated various fluorophores to study optical properties.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated light-induced assembly and light-independent disassembly of supramolecular nanoparticles.
- Showcased tunable nanoparticle lifetimes (minutes to hours) dependent on temperature and light power.
- Observed aggregation-induced emission and aggregation-caused quenching with fluorophore incorporation.
- Reported periodic fluorescent color variations over time.
- Validated functionality in human hepatocellular cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- Developed a robust artificial dissipative self-assembly system using light-induced amphiphiles.
- Highlighted the potential of transient supramolecular assemblies as fluorescence modulators.
- Confirmed the applicability of these assemblies in a cellular context for cancer research.
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