Arabinda Mallick

Photophysics in Motionally Constrained Bioenvironment: Interaction of Norharmane with Bovine Serum Albumin¶

Steady‐state photophysics of norharmane (NHM), a bioactive alkaloid, has been studied in the presence of a model transport protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The emission spectrum undergoes a remarkable change upon addition of BSA to the aqueous solution of NHM in buffer. Addition of BSA leads to a marked increase in the fluorescence anisotropy of the neutral species of NHM, although the fluorescence anisotropy for the cationic species is almost invariant to BSA addition, suggesting that the neutral species is located in a motionally restricted environment of BSA, whereas the cationic species remains in the bulk aqueous phase. The binding constant (K) and free energy change (ΔG) for the probe‐protein binding have been calculated from the fluorescence data. Light has been thrown on the action of urea on protein‐bound NHM. The denaturation study suggests that the protein, in its native form, binds with NHM. Polarity of the microenvironment around the probe has been determined from a comparison of the fluorescence properties of the two prototropic species of NHM in water‐dioxane mixture with varying composition.

Photophysics of 3-acetyl-4-oxo-6,7-dihydro-12H indolo-[2,3-a] quinolizine: emission from two states

Steady state photophysics of 3-acetyl-4-oxo-6,7-dihydro-12H indolo-[2,3-a] quinolizine (AODIQ) has been studied in different pure and mixed solvents. The fluorometric behaviour of AODIQ is modified dramatically with a change in the solvent polarity. The fluorescence quantum yield, when plotted against the solvent polarity parameter (E T (30)), passes through a maximum. Plot of the fluorescence parameters in a graded series of dioxane-water mixture against E T (30) shows segmented linearity with two independent slopes; reflecting a lower sensitivity in the less polar region and a much higher sensitivity in higher polarity range. The observations lead to the proposition that the fluorescence of AODIQ originates from two different states, viz., a locally excited (LE) and a charge transfer (CT) one. Studies of the phosphorescence and heavy atom quenching of the fluorescence reveal that the CT state lies above the lowest triplet state even in a very polar environment.

Effect of nanocavity confinement on the rotational relaxation dynamics : 3-acetyl-4-oxo-6,7-dihydro-12H indolo-[2,3-a] quinolizine in micelles

In continuation of our recent study on the steady state photophysics of a biologically active beta-carboline derivative, 3-acetyl-4-oxo-6,7-dihydro-12H indolo-[2,3-a] quinolizine (AODIQ), in the present article we have investigated the effect of nanocavity confinement on the excited state dynamics and rotational relaxation of the probe using picosecond time resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy techniques. The polarity dependent intramolecular charge transfer process is responsible for the remarkable sensitivity of this biological fluorophore in micellar environments. The fluorescence anisotropy decay of AODIQ incorporated inside the micelle is biexponential. The rotational motion of the probe was interpreted on the basis of a two step model consisting of a fast restricted rotation of the probe and a slow lateral diffusion of the probe in the micelle; both coupled to the overall rotation of the micelle. Experimental results reveal that micellar environment causes significant retardation of both the wobbling as well as the translational motion of the probe.

Application of anionic micelle for dramatic enhancement in the quenching-based metal ion fluorosensing

We introduce a simple and efficient strategy to enhance the efficiency of a quenching-based fluorosensor for metal ions by several orders of magnitude by using commercially available anionic surfactants varying hydrophobic chain length. Anionic surfactants with a proper choice of hydrophobic chain length at their optimum concentrations are efficient to boost up the efficiency of copper ion sensor dramatically. This simple and convenient strategy is, in general, applicable to quenching-based fluorosensors, new or established, in aqueous solution. It is powerful enough to transform a virtually non-sensor fluorophore to a sensor with a commendable efficiency with the help of proper surfactant. Thus, in this communication, light has been thrown on the application of surfactants toward increasing fluorosensing efficiency of a quenching based sensor.

Photophysical and Photodynamical Study of Fluoroquinolone Drug Molecule in Bile Salt Aggregates

Photophysical properties of two widely used antibiotic fluoroquinolone drugs, namely Norfloxacin (NOR) and Ofloxacin (OFL) have been investigated in biomimicking environments formed by bile salts. Experimental results demonstrate that photophysical enhancement and fall of a particular prototropic species are sensitive to the excitation wavelength in bile salt aggregates. Excitation at shorter wavelengths reveals quenching of fluorescence of these fluoroquinolone with addition of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), sodium taurocholate (NaTC) and sodium glycodeoxycholate (NaGDC). On the contrary, we observe a steady increase in the fluorescence intensity with a continuous redshift upon excitation at longer wavelength. The experimental results were rationalized in terms of the fact that, neutral and zwitterionic species of fluoroquinolone molecules in bile salt aggregates are selectively excited at shorter wavelength while the cationic form of fluoroquinolone molecules are excited at longer wavelength. The excess hydronium ions in the hydrophilic surface of bile salt aggregates convert the neutral species of NOR and OFL into cationic species causing an enhancement in the emission intensity. We found that NaGDC and NaTC because of the conjugate head group are more effective in converting the neutral species of fluoroquinolones into a cationic species than NaDC. The quenching order is in accordance with hydrophobicity indices of bile salt.

A Strategic Design of an Opto-Chemical Security Device with Resettable and Reconfigurable Password Based Upon Dual Channel Two-in-One Chemosensor Molecule

A simple strategy is proposed to design and develop an intelligent device based on dual channel ion responsive spectral properties of a commercially available molecule, harmine (HM). The system can process different sets of opto-chemical inputs generating different patterns as fluorescence outputs at specific wavelengths which can provide an additional level of protection exploiting both password and pattern recognitions. The proposed system could have the potential to come up with highly secured combinatorial locks at the molecular level that could pose valuable real time and on-site applications for user authentication.

Shipment of a Photodynamic Therapy Agent into Model Membrane and its Controlled Release: A Photophysical Approach

Harmine, an efficient cancer cell photosensitizer (PS), emits intense violet color when it is incorporated in well established self assembly based drug carrier formed by cationic surfactants of identical positive charge of head group but varying chain length, namely, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Micelle entrapped drug emits in the UV region when it interacts with non-toxic β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). Inspired by these unique fluorescence/structural switching properties of the anticancer drug, in the present work we have monitored the interplay of the drug between micelles and non-toxic β-CDs. We have observed that the model membranes formed by micelles differing in their hydrophobic chain length interact with the drug differently. Variation in the surfactant chain length plays an important role for structural switching i.e. in choosing a particular structural form of the drug that will be finally presented to their targets. The present study shows that in case of necessity, the bound drug molecule can be removed from its binding site in a controlled manner by the use of non-toxic β-CD and it is exploited to serve a significant purpose for the removal of excess/unused adsorbed drugs from the model cell membranes. We believe this kind of β-CD driven translocation of drugs monitored by fluorescence switching may find possible applications in controlled release of the drug inside cells.

Photophysical, NMR and density functional study on the ion interaction of norharmane: proton transfer vs. hydrogen bonding

Interactions of norharmane (S), with different ions have been studied using spectroscopy, NMR and density functional studies. A significant gradual change both in absorption and emission spectra was observed upon addition of fluoride anions. The spectral change in the absorption and emission bands of norharmane (S) is found to be specific to fluoride ion; it is unaffected by the presence of other ions. Hydrogen bond mediated proton transfer from norharmane to fluoride is mainly attributed to the fluoride selective signaling behavior. Calculations of the transition energies of the norharmane (S), anionic species of norharmane (S−) and hydrogen bonded complexes (S⋯F−) show that the added fluoride anion could capture the proton in the free N–H moiety instead of the hydrogen-bonding one. Experimental results reveal that the long-wavelength absorption band in the presence of fluoride ion is due to the formation of anion.

Binding interaction of a newly developed bisindole drug molecule with α-cyclodextrin: face to face shielding of indole hoops

Binding interactions of a newly developed drug molecule namely 3,3′-bis(indolyl)-4-chlorophenylmethane (BICPM) with α-cyclodextrin have been studied using steady state and picosecond time resolved fluorometric techniques. A significant increase both in steady state anisotropy (r) and in the average rotational correlation time in the CD environments compared with that in a pure aqueous phase indicates that the rotational dynamics of BICPM are substantially slowed down upon binding with the α-cyclodextrin. Critical spectral analysis reveals the formation of two types of inclusion complex between the fluorophore and α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) depending on the relative population of the two. The stoichiometries and association constants of these complexes have been determined by monitoring the fluorescence data. Hydrodynamic radii of the formed 1 : 2 probe-α-cyclodextrin supramolecular complex have also been determined. From the determined hydrodynamic radii and from molecular docking analysis it is argued that probably two CD cavity shields the indole moiety in a face-to-face manner.