@misc{MeilingCywińskiBald2016, author = {Meiling, Till Thomas and Cywiński, Piotr J. and Bald, Ilko}, title = {White carbon: Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with tunable quantum yield in a reproducible green synthesis}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-97087}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In this study, a new reliable, economic, and environmentally-friendly one-step synthesis is established to obtain carbon nanodots (CNDs) with well-defined and reproducible photoluminescence (PL) properties via the microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of starch and Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE) buffer as carbon sources. Three kinds of CNDs are prepared using different sets of above mentioned starting materials. The as-synthesized CNDs: C-CND (starch only), N-CND 1 (starch in TAE) and N-CND 2 (TAE only) exhibit highly homogenous PL and are ready to use without need for further purification. The CNDs are stable over a long period of time (>1 year) either in solution or as freeze-dried powder. Depending on starting material, CNDs with PL quantum yield (PLQY) ranging from less than 1\% up to 28\% are obtained. The influence of the precursor concentration, reaction time and type of additives on the optical properties (UV-Vis absorption, PL emission spectrum and PLQY) is carefully investigated, providing insight into the chemical processes that occur during CND formation. Remarkably, upon freeze-drying the initially brown CND-solution turns into a non-fluorescent white/slightly brown powder which recovers PL in aqueous solution and can potentially be applied as fluorescent marker in bio-imaging, as a reduction agent or as a photocatalyst.}, language = {en} } @misc{TasiorBaldDeperasińskaetal.2015, author = {Tasior, Mariusz and Bald, Ilko and Deperasińska, Irena and Cywiński, Piotr J. and Gryko, Daniel T.}, title = {An internal charge transfer-dependent solvent effect in V-shaped azacyanines}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-102704}, pages = {11714 -- 11720}, year = {2015}, abstract = {New V-shaped non-centrosymmetric dyes, possessing a strongly electron-deficient azacyanine core, have been synthesized based on a straightforward two-step approach. The key step in this synthesis involves palladium-catalysed cross-coupling of dibromo-N,N′-methylene-2,2′-azapyridinocyanines with arylacetylenes. The resulting strongly polarized π-expanded heterocycles exhibit green to orange fluorescence and they strongly respond to changes in solvent polarity. We demonstrate that differently electron-donating peripheral groups have a significant influence on the internal charge transfer, hence on the solvent effect and fluorescence quantum yield. TD-DFT calculations confirm that, in contrast to the previously studied bis(styryl)azacyanines, the proximity of S1 and T2 states calculated for compounds bearing two 4-N,N-dimethylaminophenylethynyl moieties establishes good conditions for efficient intersystem crossing and is responsible for its low fluorescence quantum yield. Non-linear properties have also been determined for new azacyanines and the results show that depending on peripheral groups, the synthesized dyes exhibit small to large two-photon absorption cross sections reaching 4000 GM.}, language = {en} } @article{OlejkoCywinskiBald2015, author = {Olejko, Lydia and Cywinski, Piotr J. and Bald, Ilko}, title = {Ion-Selective formation of a guanine quadruplex on DNA origami structures}, series = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, volume = {54}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, number = {2}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201409278}, pages = {673 -- 677}, year = {2015}, abstract = {DNA origami nanostructures are a versatile tool that can be used to arrange functionalities with high local control to study molecular processes at a single-molecule level. Here, we demonstrate that DNA origami substrates can be used to suppress the formation of specific guanine (G) quadruplex structures from telomeric DNA. The folding of telomeres into G-quadruplex structures in the presence of monovalent cations (e.g. Na+ and K+) is currently used for the detection of K+ ions, however, with insufficient selectivity towards Na+. By means of FRET between two suitable dyes attached to the 3- and 5-ends of telomeric DNA we demonstrate that the formation of G-quadruplexes on DNA origami templates in the presence of sodium ions is suppressed due to steric hindrance. Hence, telomeric DNA attached to DNA origami structures represents a highly sensitive and selective detection tool for potassium ions even in the presence of high concentrations of sodium ions.}, language = {en} } @article{TasiorBaldDeperasinskaetal.2015, author = {Tasior, Mariusz and Bald, Ilko and Deperasinska, Irena and Cywinski, Piotr J. and Gryko, Daniel T.}, title = {An internal charge transfer-dependent solvent effect in V-shaped azacyanines}, series = {Organic \& biomolecular chemistry : an international journal of synthetic, physical and biomolecular organic chemistry}, volume = {13}, journal = {Organic \& biomolecular chemistry : an international journal of synthetic, physical and biomolecular organic chemistry}, number = {48}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c5ob01633a}, pages = {11714 -- 11720}, year = {2015}, language = {en} } @article{MeilingCywinskiBald2016, author = {Meiling, Till T. and Cywinski, Piotr J. and Bald, Ilko}, title = {White carbon: Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with tunable quantum yield in a reproducible green synthesis}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep28557}, pages = {9}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In this study, a new reliable, economic, and environmentally-friendly one-step synthesis is established to obtain carbon nanodots (CNDs) with well-defined and reproducible photoluminescence (PL) properties via the microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of starch and Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE) buffer as carbon sources. Three kinds of CNDs are prepared using different sets of above mentioned starting materials. The as-synthesized CNDs: C-CND (starch only), N-CND 1 (starch in TAE) and N-CND 2 (TAE only) exhibit highly homogenous PL and are ready to use without need for further purification. The CNDs are stable over a long period of time (> 1 year) either in solution or as freeze-dried powder. Depending on starting material, CNDs with PL quantum yield (PLQY) ranging from less than 1\% up to 28\% are obtained. The influence of the precursor concentration, reaction time and type of additives on the optical properties (UV-Vis absorption, PL emission spectrum and PLQY) is carefully investigated, providing insight into the chemical processes that occur during CND formation. Remarkably, upon freeze-drying the initially brown CND-solution turns into a non-fluorescent white/slightly brown powder which recovers PL in aqueous solution and can potentially be applied as fluorescent marker in bio-imaging, as a reduction agent or as a photocatalyst.}, language = {en} } @article{MeilingCywińskiBald2016, author = {Meiling, Till Thomas and Cywiński, Piotr J. and Bald, Ilko}, title = {White carbon: Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with tunable quantum yield in a reproducible green synthesis}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, address = {London}, doi = {10.1038/srep28557}, pages = {9}, year = {2016}, abstract = {In this study, a new reliable, economic, and environmentally-friendly one-step synthesis is established to obtain carbon nanodots (CNDs) with well-defined and reproducible photoluminescence (PL) properties via the microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of starch and Tris-acetate-EDTA (TAE) buffer as carbon sources. Three kinds of CNDs are prepared using different sets of above mentioned starting materials. The as-synthesized CNDs: C-CND (starch only), N-CND 1 (starch in TAE) and N-CND 2 (TAE only) exhibit highly homogenous PL and are ready to use without need for further purification. The CNDs are stable over a long period of time (>1 year) either in solution or as freeze-dried powder. Depending on starting material, CNDs with PL quantum yield (PLQY) ranging from less than 1\% up to 28\% are obtained. The influence of the precursor concentration, reaction time and type of additives on the optical properties (UV-Vis absorption, PL emission spectrum and PLQY) is carefully investigated, providing insight into the chemical processes that occur during CND formation. Remarkably, upon freeze-drying the initially brown CND-solution turns into a non-fluorescent white/slightly brown powder which recovers PL in aqueous solution and can potentially be applied as fluorescent marker in bio-imaging, as a reduction agent or as a photocatalyst.}, language = {en} } @article{OlejkoCywińskiBald2016, author = {Olejko, Lydia and Cywiński, Piotr J. and Bald, Ilko}, title = {An ion-controlled four-color fluorescent telomeric switch on DNA origami structures}, series = {Nanoscale}, volume = {8}, journal = {Nanoscale}, publisher = {RSC Publ.}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {2040-3372}, doi = {10.1039/C6NR00119J}, pages = {10339 -- 10347}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The folding of single-stranded telomeric DNA into guanine (G) quadruplexes is a conformational change that plays a major role in sensing and drug targeting. The telomeric DNA can be placed on DNA origami nanostructures to make the folding process extremely selective for K+ ions even in the presence of high Na+ concentrations. Here, we demonstrate that the K+-selective G-quadruplex formation is reversible when using a cryptand to remove K+ from the G-quadruplex. We present a full characterization of the reversible switching between single-stranded telomeric DNA and G-quadruplex structures using F{\"o}rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the dyes fluorescein (FAM) and cyanine3 (Cy3). When attached to the DNA origami platform, the G-quadruplex switch can be incorporated into more complex photonic networks, which is demonstrated for a three-color and a four-color FRET cascade from FAM over Cy3 and Cy5 to IRDye700 with G-quadruplex-Cy3 acting as a switchable transmitter.}, language = {en} }