Modulating spectral response of raw photosynthetic pigments via ternary cadmium chalcogenide quantum dots: simultaneous enhancement at green spectrum and inhibition at UV region

Sümeyye Aykut, Nida Ük, İbrahim Yağız Coşkun, Sultan Şahin Keskin, Ilgın Nar, Levent Trabzon, Caner Ünlü*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Photosynthesis relies on the absorption of sunlight by photosynthetic pigments (PPs) such as chlorophylls and carotenoids. While these pigments are outstanding at harvesting light, their natural structure restricts their ability to harvest light at specific wavelengths. In this study, Oleic acid-capped CdSeS and CdTeS ternary quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized using a novel two-phase synthesis method. Then, these QDs were used to interact with raw PPs, a mixture of chlorophylls and carotenoids isolated from spinach. Our findings revealed the following: (1) Interacting QDs with raw PPs effectively inhibited the chlorophyll fluorescence of the pigments upon excitation in UV light region (250–400 nm) without causing any damage to their structure. (2) By forming an interaction with QDs, the chlorophyll fluorescence of raw PPs could be induced through excitation with green-light spectrum. (3) The composition of the QDs played a fundamental role in their interaction with PPs. Our study demonstrated that the photophysical properties of isolated PPs could be modified by using cadmium-based QDs by preserving the structure of the pigments themselves.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalPhotosynthesis Research
Volume160
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Keywords

  • Chlorophyll fluorescence
  • Photosynthesis
  • Quantum dots

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