Electrochemical Fluorescence Switching in Rhodamine-Ferrocene Dyads: Spatiotemporal Control in Biomimetic Membranes
Ning Jiang1, Lorenzo Meneghelli1, Niccolo Dipace2
1Laboratoire Chimie Physique et Chimie du Vivant CPCV, UMR8228, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Paris75005, France.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|July 18, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed an electrochemically controlled fluorescence switch for lipid bilayers. This redox-responsive probe, operating in membranes, offers precise control over light emission at the interface.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Electrochemical control of fluorescence is established in homogeneous solutions.
- Implementation in electrically insulating lipid bilayers is largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish an electrochemically gated fluorescence switch in lipid bilayers.
- To investigate redox-controlled photoinduced electron transfer for fluorescence modulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rhodamine-ferrocene dyad anchored to giant unilamellar vesicles.
- Applied electrochemical bias to modulate fluorescence emission.
- Investigated leaflet-selectivity and surface charge effects.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated reversible fluorescence activation under electrochemical control in individual vesicles.
- Showcased strict leaflet-selectivity, with switching only at the electrode interface.
- Revealed that membrane surface charge critically influences switching efficiency and kinetics.
Conclusions:
- Electrochemical fluorescence modulation in membranes is a spatially and electrostatically gated interfacial process.
- Defined principles for designing redox-responsive probes for soft interfaces like lipid membranes.
