Photoinduced electron transfer from PbS quantum dots to cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes: light activation of a protein inhibitor

摘要

This paper describes the activation of a biologically inert Co(III) Schiff base (SB) complex to its protein inhibitor form by photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from a colloidal PbS quantum dot (QD, radii = 1.5 – 1.7 nm) to the cobalt center, with a charge separation time constant of 125 ns. Reduction of the Co(III)-SB initiates release of the native axial ligands, promoting replacement with the histidine mimic 4-methylimidazole. The rate of ligand displacement increases by approximately a factor of eight upon exposure of the PbS QD/Co(III)-SB mixture to light of energy greater than the energy of the first excitonic state of the QDs, from which PET occurs. These results suggest an approach for the preparation of inorganic therapeutic agents that can be specifically coupled to a biologically active site by cooperative redox-binding ligation.