Dual esterase- and steroid-responsive energy transfer modulation of ruthenium(II) and rhenium(I) complex functionalized gold nanoparticles

A number of adamantane-containing ruthenium(II) and rhenium(I) complexes have been synthesized, characterized, and noncovalently functionalized with β-cyclodextrin-capped gold nanoparticles (β-CD-GNPs) through the host-guest interaction between cyclodextrin and adamantane. The resultant nanoconjugates have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and 2D ROESY ¹H NMR experiments. The Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) properties of the nanoconjugates can be modulated by both esterase-accelerated hydrolysis and competitive displacement of steroid, by monitoring the emission intensity and luminescence lifetime. The FRET efficiencies are found to vary with the nature of the chromophores and the length of the spacer between the transition metal complexes and the GNPs. This work constitutes a "proof-of-principle" assay method for the dual-functional detection of important classes of biomolecules, such as enzymes and steroids. Copyright © 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.