Afterglow ice formed by phosphorescent luminophore-protein conjugates and complexes in aqueous solution at freezing temperature.

ABSTRACT: Unlike the widely reported fluorophore-biomacromolecule systems in nucleic acid testing and immunoassay, organic afterglow luminophore-biomacromolecule conjugates and complexes remain rarely explored. Here we report the observation of organic afterglow from aqueous solutions of luminophore-protein conjugates and complexes at freezing temperature, named as afterglow ice for abbreviation. Reliable N-hydroxysuccinimide ester protocol, as well as β-diketone chemistry, are applied for protein labeling to form luminophore-protein conjugates, which exhibit intriguing afterglow at freezing temperature. Control experiments reveal that hydrophobic interaction and covalent linkage between luminophore and protein can protect organic triplet excited states from quenching. In the case of luminophore-pro

SUBMITTER: Li X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12779962 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature