Quantum dot fluorescence quenching pathways with Cr(III) complexes. photosensitized NO production from trans-Cr(cyclam)(ONO)2+.

Described is the photoluminescence (PL) of water-soluble CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as perturbed by salts of the chromium(III) complexes trans-Cr(cyclam)Cl2+ (1), trans-Cr(cyclam)(ONO)2+ (2), and trans-Cr(cyclam)(CN)2+ (3) (cyclam = 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclo-tetradecane). The purpose is to probe the characteristics of such QDs as antennae for photosensitized release of bioactive agents (in the present case, the bioregulatory molecule NO) from transition metal centers. Addition of 1 or 2 to a QD solution results in concentration-dependent quenching of the band edge emission, but 3 has a minimal effect. Added KCl strongly attenuates the quenching by 1, and this suggests that the Cr(III) cations and the QDs form electrostatic assemblies via ion pairing on the negatively charged QD surfaces. Quenching by 2, a known photochemical NO precursor, was accompanied by photosensitized NO release. All three, however, do quench the broad red emission ( approximately 650-850 nm) attributed to radiative decay of surface trapped carriers. The effect of various concentrations of 1 on time-resolved PL and absorbance were explored using ultrafast spectroscopic methods. These observations are interpreted in terms of the Förster resonance energy-transfer mechanism for quenching of the band edge PL by multiple units of 1 or 2 at the QD surface, whereas quenching of the low-energy trap emission occurs via a charge-transfer pathway.