Squaraine Dyes: Interaction with Bovine Serum Albumin to Investigate Supramolecular Adducts with Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) Properties

Abstract

Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-squaraine supramolecular adducts with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods. While squaraine dyes showed a very low fluorescence quantum yield in water, a great enhancement in the fluorescence of the aggregated BSA adducts was achieved due to the abnormal aggregation-induced emission properties of squaraines. The adducts formation was studied from a kinetic point of view showing unexpected structure-properties relationships.

Keywords: aggregation-induced emission (AIE); bovine serum albumin (BSA); kinetics; squaraines; supramolecular adducts.