Spectroscopy of isolated, mass-selected tryptophan-Ag3 complexes: a model for photoabsorption enhancement in nanoparticle-biomolecule hybrid systems.
We wish to show that gas-phase studies of small metal cluster-biomolecule complexes provide fundamental insights into the mechanism leading to enhanced optical absorption in nanoparticle-biomolecular hybrid systems. Here we present, for the first time, a joint experimental and theoretical study of photoabsorption and photofragmentation of the silver trimer-tryptophan cation complex ([Trp.Ag3]+). We demonstrate that binding the metal cluster to a biomolecule leads to a remarkably high optical absorption as compared to the bare tryptophan or the [Trp.Ag]+ complex. As calculations show this arises due to coupling between the excitations in the metallic subunit with a charge transfer excitation to the tryptophan molecule.
Compagnon
Isabelle
I
Laboratoire de Spectrométrie ionique et moléculaire UMR 5579, Université Lyon 1 and CNRS, 43 Bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex, France.
Tabarin
Thibault
T
Antoine
Rodolphe
R
Broyer
Michel
M
Dugourd
Philippe
P
Mitrić
Roland
R
Petersen
Jens
J
Bonacić-Koutecký
Vlasta
V
D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008970:Molecular Weight; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010777:Photochemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry*
D012834:Silver; D014364:Tryptophan