Luminescent Probes of DNA and Semiconductor Surface Structure

南卡罗来纳州大学的Catherine J. Murphy博士获得了学院早期职业发展奖下的无机，生物无机和有机化学项目的支持，用于研究发光作为表面结构探针的用途。 有三个目标领域：（1）三二亚胺钌（II）配合物将被设计成使得仅当二亚胺配体之一具有适合于大分子（例如由于三级结构而形成的DNA）中的空腔的适当长度时才观察到发光。 (2)硫化镉的“量子点”的发光的性质和表面吸附物的量的已知的灵敏度将作为确定DNA与这些粒子的相互作用的性质的手段进行调查。 假设可以弯曲的DNA将吸附到具有适当直径的颗粒上，并且这种吸附可以通过颗粒发光的变化来监测。 包裹在适当大小的颗粒周围的DNA分子的末端之间的距离可以通过双链体两端上的分子标签（荧光素和罗丹明）之间发生能量转移的程度来进一步研究。 (3)空心“量子点”硫化镉颗粒的合成将尝试在努力模拟多孔半导体颗粒的发光报告。 这些粒子的光学/结构关系将用于开发多孔半导体的电子结构模型。 教学计划概述了几种方法，材料化学将通过正式的课程工作，并通过本科和研究生的研究引入本科和研究生课程。 还详细介绍了通过与校园和地方高中和中学的妇女组织互动来促进女科学家发展的计划。 发光是某些种类的分子的独特性质，其中光的吸收导致光的发射，通常具有较长波长。 这种发光的波长和强度通常对吸收分子周围的环境非常敏感。 这项研究旨在利用几种材料的发光来探测其环境的结构。 这些应用程序可以提供关于某些类型的DNA结构的独特信息，这些信息不容易通过其他技术确定。 该教学计划旨在增加本科生和研究生对材料化学的接触，并促进女科学家的发展。

Dr. Catherine J. Murphy, of the University of South Carolina, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program under a Faculty Early Career Advancement Award for the study of uses of luminescence as a probe of surface structure. Three areas are targeted: (1) Trisdiimine ruthenium(II) complexes will be designed such that luminescence will be observed only when one of the diimine ligands is of the appropriate length to fit a cavity in a large molecule such as DNA that is formed as a result of tertiary structure. (2) The known sensitivity of the luminescence of "quantum dots" of cadmium sulfide to the nature and amount of surface adsorbate will be investigated as a means of determining the nature of the interaction of DNA with these particles. It is hypothesized that DNA that can bend will adsorb to particles that are of the appropriate diameter and that this adsorption can be monitored by changes in the luminescence of the particles. Distances between the ends of DNA molecules wrapped about suitably sized particles may be further investigated by the extent to which energy transfer between molecular tags on the two ends of the duplex (fluorescein and rhodamine) occurs. (3) Synthesis of hollow "quantum dot" cadmium sulfide particles will be attempted in an effort to model the luminescence reported for porous semiconductor particles. Optical/structure relationships for these particles will be used to develop a model for the electronic structure of porous semiconductors. The teaching plan outlines several ways in which materials chemistry will be introduced into the undergraduate and graduate curricula through formal course work and through both undergraduate and graduate research. Also detailed are plans to foster the development of female scientists through interactions with women's organizations on campus and in local high schools and middle schools. Luminescence is a unique property of certain classes of molecules in whic h the absorption of light results in emission of light, usually of a longer wavelength. The wavelength and intensity of such luminescence is generally very sensitive to the environment about the absorbing molecule. This research aims to utilize the luminescence of several materials to probe the structures of their environments. These applications may provide unique information about the structure of certain types of DNA that is not readily determined by other techniques. The teaching program is designed to increase the exposure of undergraduate and graduate students to materials chemistry and to foster the development of female scientists.