Sonication-responsive organogelation of a tripodal peptide and optical properties of embedded Tm3+ nanoclusters

Abstract

The sonication induced organogelation of a tripodal peptide has been investigated. The tripodal peptide does not form a gel in organic solvents after heating, cooling and ageing. Ultrasound has been used as a source of energy to tune the molecular assembly and organogelation. CD, NMR and fluorescence spectroscopies indicate distinct structural changes before and after sonication. FE-SEM and AFM of the xerogels reveal the nanofibrillar morphology. Moreover, the sonication responsive organogelation has been used to fabricate novel lanthanide nanocrystal decorated fibers. This gelation selectively quenches the viable emissions from the nanocryatsls as well the FRET observed between Tm³⁺/Yb³⁺-doped LiYF₄ nanocrystals and ketocyanine dye occurring near 550 nm without affecting the NIR emissions of the nanocrystals.