{"title":"A Mayan-inspired DAPI fluorophore stabilized and enhanced through sorption on palygorskite","authors":"Roberto Giustetto , Gabriele Ricchiardi , Francesca Bonino , Nadia Barbero","doi":"10.1016/j.micromeso.2024.113196","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, di-hydrochloride) is a photoactive dye used as a fluorescent marker for nucleic acids, due to its high affinity for the major groove in the DNA double helix. By following a <em>Mayan-inspired</em> recipe (namely grinding, heating and washing in H<sub>2</sub>O), the DAPI molecule was fastened to the microporous framework of palygorskite – a clay mineral used to produce the famed <em>Maya Blue</em> pigment, whose fibrous crystals are carved by surface grooves similar in size to those of DNA – in order to obtain a newly designed fluorescent material. This hybrid composite was investigated with a multi-analytical approach, which includes FE-SEM-EDS, BET-specific surface area (SSA)/micropore volume measurements, thermogravimetry, UV–vis, fluorescence and FT-IR spectroscopies. Supramolecular interactions form between the clay and the dye <em>already</em> after grinding, apparently involving a two-step binding process. Evidence is found of an incipient, electrostatic interaction between cationic DAPI and the negatively charged surface of the palygorskite fibrils, which then evolves in H-bonding interaction between the dye amine groups and the zeolitic and/or structural water in the clay surface grooves. Heating and washing in H<sub>2</sub>O seemingly deteriorate the composite morphology and stability, jeopardizing – rather than strengthening – the previously formed host/guest interactions. This hybrid composite, with remarkable stability and appreciable quantum yield, is potentially fit to be used as a low-cost, fluorescent material for applications such as spectrum manipulation technologies, sensors, optical devices, imaging and design-targeted drug-delivery systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":392,"journal":{"name":"Microporous and Mesoporous Materials","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138718112400218X/pdfft?md5=a63e1a0c5987ae9bc260abc1317c4cc5&pid=1-s2.0-S138718112400218X-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Microporous and Mesoporous Materials","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138718112400218X","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, APPLIED","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, di-hydrochloride) is a photoactive dye used as a fluorescent marker for nucleic acids, due to its high affinity for the major groove in the DNA double helix. By following a Mayan-inspired recipe (namely grinding, heating and washing in H2O), the DAPI molecule was fastened to the microporous framework of palygorskite – a clay mineral used to produce the famed Maya Blue pigment, whose fibrous crystals are carved by surface grooves similar in size to those of DNA – in order to obtain a newly designed fluorescent material. This hybrid composite was investigated with a multi-analytical approach, which includes FE-SEM-EDS, BET-specific surface area (SSA)/micropore volume measurements, thermogravimetry, UV–vis, fluorescence and FT-IR spectroscopies. Supramolecular interactions form between the clay and the dye already after grinding, apparently involving a two-step binding process. Evidence is found of an incipient, electrostatic interaction between cationic DAPI and the negatively charged surface of the palygorskite fibrils, which then evolves in H-bonding interaction between the dye amine groups and the zeolitic and/or structural water in the clay surface grooves. Heating and washing in H2O seemingly deteriorate the composite morphology and stability, jeopardizing – rather than strengthening – the previously formed host/guest interactions. This hybrid composite, with remarkable stability and appreciable quantum yield, is potentially fit to be used as a low-cost, fluorescent material for applications such as spectrum manipulation technologies, sensors, optical devices, imaging and design-targeted drug-delivery systems.
期刊介绍:
Microporous and Mesoporous Materials covers novel and significant aspects of porous solids classified as either microporous (pore size up to 2 nm) or mesoporous (pore size 2 to 50 nm). The porosity should have a specific impact on the material properties or application. Typical examples are zeolites and zeolite-like materials, pillared materials, clathrasils and clathrates, carbon molecular sieves, ordered mesoporous materials, organic/inorganic porous hybrid materials, or porous metal oxides. Both natural and synthetic porous materials are within the scope of the journal.
Topics which are particularly of interest include:
All aspects of natural microporous and mesoporous solids
The synthesis of crystalline or amorphous porous materials
The physico-chemical characterization of microporous and mesoporous solids, especially spectroscopic and microscopic
The modification of microporous and mesoporous solids, for example by ion exchange or solid-state reactions
All topics related to diffusion of mobile species in the pores of microporous and mesoporous materials
Adsorption (and other separation techniques) using microporous or mesoporous adsorbents
Catalysis by microporous and mesoporous materials
Host/guest interactions
Theoretical chemistry and modelling of host/guest interactions
All topics related to the application of microporous and mesoporous materials in industrial catalysis, separation technology, environmental protection, electrochemistry, membranes, sensors, optical devices, etc.