Circular dichroism spectroscopy of chlorin e6 and its complexes with quantum dots in different media

Resumo

The circular dichroism (CD) spectra of chlorin e6 and its complexes with ZnS:Mn/ZnS and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in aqueous solutions with different pH, in methanol, and in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) have been experimentally investigated. The changes in the CD spectra of free chlorin e6 caused by its complexing with semiconductor QDs are analyzed. The application of CD spectroscopy made it possible to record for the first time the CD spectrum of luminescent dimer of chlorin e6 and reveal a nonluminescent aggregate of chlorin e6 (interpreted preliminary as a “tetramer”), the anisotropy factor of which exceeds that of its monomer by a factor of 40. An analysis of the experimental data shows that chlorin e6 in a complex with QDs can be either in the monomeric form or in the form of a nonluminescent “tetramer.” The interaction with a relatively low-stable luminescent dimer of chlorin e6 with QDs leads to its partial monomerization and formation of complexes where chlorin e6 is in the monomeric form.