| 1. |
- Crivillers, N, et al.
(författare)
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Photoinduced work function changes by isomerization of a densely packed azobenzene-based SAM on Au: a joint experimental and theoretical study
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 13:32, s. 14302-14310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Responsive monolayers are key building blocks for future applications in organic and molecular electronics in particular because they hold potential for tuning the physico-chemical properties of interfaces, including their energetics. Here we study a photochromic SAM based on a conjugated azobenzene derivative and its influence on the gold work function (Phi(Au)) when chemisorbed on its surface. In particular we show that the Phi(Au) can be modulated with external stimuli by controlling the azobenzene trans/cis isomerization process. This phenomenon is characterized experimentally by four different techniques, kelvin probe, kelvin probe force microscopy, electroabsorption spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The use of different techniques implies exposing the SAM to different measurement conditions and different preparation methods, which, remarkably, do not alter the observed work function change (Phi(trans)-Phi(cis)). Theoretical calculations provided a complementary insight crucial to attain a deeper knowledge on the origin of the work function photo-modulation.
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| 2. |
- Knippenberg, Stefan, et al.
(författare)
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Atomistic Picture of Fluorescent Probes with Hydrocarbon Tails in Lipid Bilayer Membranes : An Investigation of Selective Affinities and Fluorescent Anisotropies in Different Environmental Phases
- 2018
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Ingår i: Langmuir. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 0743-7463 .- 1520-5827. ; 34:30, s. 9072-9084
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By reverting to spectroscopy, changes in the biological environment of a fluorescent probe can be monitored and the presence of various phases of the surrounding lipid bilayer membranes can be detected. However, it is currently not always clear in which phase the probe resides. The well-known orange 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindodicarbo-cyanine perchlorate (DiI-C18(5)) fluorophore, for instance, and the new, blue BODIPY (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) derivative were experimentally seen to target and highlight identical parts of giant unilamellar vesicles of various compositions, comprising mixtures of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (Chol). However, it was not clear which of the coexisting membrane phases were visualized (Bacalum et al., Langmuir. 2016, 32, 3495). The present study addresses this issue by utilizing large-scale molecular dynamics simulations and the z-constraint method, which allows evaluating Gibbs free-energy profiles. The current calculations give an indication why, at room temperature, both BODIPY and DiI-C18(5) probes prefer the gel (S-o) phase in DOPC/DPPC (2:3 molar ratio) and the liquid-ordered (L-o) phase in DOPC/SM/Chol (1:2:1 molar ratio) mixtures. This study highlights the important differences in orientation and location and therefore in efficiency between the probes when they are used in fluorescence microscopy to screen various lipid bilayer membrane phases. Dependent on the lipid composition, the angle between the transition-state dipole moments of both probes and the normal to the membrane is found to deviate clearly from 90 degrees. It is seen that the DiI-C18(5) probe is located in the headgroup region of the SM/Chol mixture, in close contact with water molecules. A fluorescence anisotropy study also indicates that DiI-C18(5) gives rise to a distinctive behavior in the SM/Chol membrane compared to the other considered membranes. The latter behavior has not been seen for the studied BODIPY probe, which is located deeper in the membrane.
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| 3. |
- Osella, S., et al.
(författare)
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Exhibiting environment sensitive optical properties through multiscale modelling : A study of photoactivatable probes
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A. - : Elsevier BV. - 1010-6030 .- 1873-2666. ; 425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To assess a tumor biomarker like the cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme (COX-2), non-invasive imaging techniques are powerful tools. The (non-) linear optical properties of activatable fluorescent probes which are selectively bound to the biomarker can therefore be exploited. The here presented molecular modelling results based on multi-scale modelling techniques highlight the importance of the conformational versatility and of changes in the electronic interactions of such probes when they are embedded in water or in the COX-2 homodimer enzyme. The ANQIMC-6 probe, which combines the binding domain/scaffold of indomethacin (IMC) on COX-2 with the optical properties of acenaphtho[1,2-b]quinoxaline (ANQ), is found to be folded in the solvent and unfolded in the enzyme. A concerted movement of the probe and the protein is seen, while the rotational autocorrelation function exhibits also the intrinsic properties of the probe. Hybrid Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) calculations are used to simulate the one-photon and two-photon absorption spectra along with the first hyperpolarizability. The transition has a local character in vacuum, but changes to a charge transfer one in the presence of the microenvironment of the enzyme. This is also visible through a change of the shape of the absorption spectrum, while at the same time the simulated signals of second harmonic generation experiments are strongly enhanced. The results of this work prove that an environment sensitive probe with an anchoring group and an optical active part can be constructed for use in absorption spectroscopy, without the need to revert to fluorescence experiments.
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| 4. |
- Osella, S., et al.
(författare)
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Laurdan as a Molecular Rotor in Biological Environments
- 2019
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Bio Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2576-6422. ; 2:12, s. 5769-5778
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Laurdan is one of the most used fluorescent probes for lipid membrane phase recognition. Despite its wide use for optical techniques and its versatility as a solvatochromic probe, little is known regarding its use as molecular rotor, for which clear evidence is found in the current study. Although recent computational and experimental studies suggest the existence of two stable conformations of laurdan in different membrane phases, it is difficult to experimentally probe their prevalence. By means of multiscale computational approaches, we prove now that this information can be obtained through the optical properties of the two conformers, ranging from one-photon absorption over two-photon absorption to the first hyperpolarizability. Fluorescence decay and anisotropy analyses are performed as well and stress the importance of laurdan's conformational versatility. As a molecular rotor and with reference to the distinct properties of its conformers, laurdan can be used to probe biochemical processes that change the lipid orders in cell membranes.
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