Session: Colloidal Hybrid Materials Intended for Biological Applications:

Gallium oxide nanoparticles (GaO-(OH)) have been proposed for biomedical applications such as cancer diagnostics and treatments. Understanding its interaction with biological components, like proteins, is an important factor for the development of new nanomaterials. Gallium oxide nanoparticles conjugated with β-cyclodextrin (GaO-CD) were synthesized using a sol-gel approach, characterized by molecular spectroscopic and imaging (SEM) techniques, and further used to probe equilibrium interactions with human serum albumin (HSA). In this work, we have used the sensitivity of the single tryptophan (Trp) fluorescence of HSA to monitor the interaction between GaO-CD and the protein at different temperatures. The binding and quenching constants were determined using Stern-Volmer analysis. The results show that at low temperatures a single type fluorophore is observed while at higher temperatures the emission shows contribution from heterogenous Trp population. Also, the thermal stability of the complex was followed by fluorescence spectroscopy and using a simple two-state model. The results show a small increase in HSA T-melt.

Nitza V Falcon

Undergraduate Student, University of Puerto Rico - Humacao

Appearances