Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025

Synthesis, Characterization, and Functionalization of Hybrid Au/CdS and Au/ZnS Core/Shell Nanoparticles
Published on: March 2, 2016
Deciphering the Underlying Mechanism for Au/ZnO Nanocomposites-Induced Modulation of Structural Features and
Kiranjot Kaur1, Deepak Sharma2,3, Krishna Kanta Haldar1
1Department of Chemistry, Central University of Punjab, Ghudda, Bathinda, Punjab 151401, India.
Abstract:
Au/ZnO nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized and characterized by using various analytical techniques. Analysis of Au/ZnO NCs effect on 1H NMR, CD, fluorescence, and absorbance spectra of horse myoglobin (h-Mb) at 0.0 and 5.0 M urea (pH 7.4) revealed that the Au/ZnO NCs weaken the heme-globin interactions and also disrupt the secondary/tertiary structure of h-Mb. Furthermore, the Au/ZnO NCs effect of weakening the heme-globin interactions and disrupting the protein structures was detected more in the denaturant media than in the aqueous solution. Analysis of the Au/ZnO NCs effect on thermodynamic parameters (based on absorbance at 409 nm, CD at 222 nm, and DSC) of h-Mb at pH 7.4 revealed that the Au/ZnO NCs decrease the thermodynamic stability of h-Mb. Investigation of Au/ZnO NC's effects on urea concentration-dependent unfolding free energy of h-Mb at pH 7.4 showed that the Au/ZnO NCs strengthen the urea impact to decrease the thermodynamic stability of h-Mb. The quantitative estimation of enthalpic and entropic contributions to the Au/ZnO NCs-mediated decrease in the unfolding free energy of h-Mb reveals that the Au/ZnO NCs decrease the local (heme-globin interactions) and structural thermodynamic stability of the protein due to the enthalpic interactions of h-Mb with Au/ZnO NCs. ITC and time-resolved fluorescence studies of h-Mb further suggest that the Au/ZnO NCs form binding interactions with h-Mb at pH 7.4.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
Protein Denaturation
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...

