NER: Semiconductor Quantum Dot-Based Artificial Enzymes. Rational Design and Development

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PROPOSAL NO: 0403269INSTITUTION: Mich Technological UnivPRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Liu , JianTITLE: NER: Semiconductor Quantum Dot-Based Artificial Enzymes Rational Design and DevelopmentThe goal of the proposed work, funded by NSF/NER program, is to seek new functionalities of water-soluble semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) by mimicking the activities of natural enzyme within a non-protein environment. Under such scheme, the nano-composite based photo-catalytic artificial enzymes are designed to mimic the regulation mechanisms and the selective chemistry of enzymes by imposing light-induced electronic, energetic, and geometric changes on artificial substrate recognition sites on QDs. Several key features of enzymes will be mimicked to understand how can we control the activities of these QD-based, non-protein enzymes in using light as a source of thermodynamic driving force for benign solar chemical processes.