Functional Bioinorganic Hybrids from Enzymes and Luminescent Silicon-Based Nanoparticles

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 34; no. 22; pp. 6556 - 6569
• Main Authors: Robidillo, Christopher Jay T, Islam, Muhammad Amirul, Aghajamali, Maryam, Faramus, Angelique, Sinelnikov, Regina, Zhang, Xiyu, Boekhoven, Job, Veinot, Jonathan G. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 05-06-2018
• Subjects: Biosensing Techniques; Enzymes - metabolism; Luminescence; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Silicon - chemistry; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01119

This study reports the preparation of functional bioinorganic hybrid materials exhibiting catalytic activity and photoluminescent properties arising from the combination of enzymes and freestanding silicon-based nanoparticles. The hybrid materials reported herein have potential applications in biological sensing/imaging and theranostics, as they combine long-lived silicon-based nanoparticle photoluminescence with substrate-specific enzymatic activity. Thermal hydrosilylation of undecenoic acid and alkene-terminated poly­(ethylene oxide) with hydride-terminated silicon nanocrystals afforded nanoparticles functionalized with a mixed surface made up of carboxylic acid and poly­(ethylene oxide) moieties. These silicon-based nanoparticles were subsequently conjugated with prototypical enzymes through the carbodiimide-mediated amide coupling reaction in order to form bioinorganic hybrids that display solubility and photostability in phosphate buffer, photoluminescence (λmax = 630 nm), and enzymatic activity. They were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS), photoluminescence spectroscopy, and pertinent enzyme activity assays.