Tetrapyrroles (TPs) have been known to undergo conformational changes in response to stimuli such as UV irradiation or metal chelation. However, in contrast to previous reports of tetrapyrrole photodegradation behavior, we have determined that the conformational changes in some TPs exposed to UV irradiation actually lead to enhanced fluorescence emission without degradation into other products. This enhanced fluorescence can be further complimented with the chelation of metals. These observations were further evaluated in crosslinked TP nanoparticles, at the bulk state and at the single-particle level. TPs and TP-derived NPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and circular dichroism. TP conformational change was confirmed with circular dichroism, and their ability to withstand photodegradation was confirmed with mass spectrometry. These findings suggest that UV irradiation and metal chelation can be utilized to “train” TPs for enhanced fluorescence at selected wavelengths.

UV-trained and metal-enhanced fluorescence of tetrapyrroles and tetrapyrrole-based nanoparticles

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.