Chiromagnetic Multifunctional Quantum Dots (QDs) of Co3O4 Produced with Biomolecules
Iseli Lourenço Nantes
Universidade Federal do ABC
Abstract
Multifunctional quantum dots (QDs) of Co3O4 were fabricated using cobalt II nitrate hexahydrate with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seed extract and with the enantiomeric pair of the peptide Cysteine-Histidine-Alanine (CHA). The use of the enantiomeric pair of CHA resulted in the pair of QDs with the corresponding chiral distortion. The low-dimensional semiconductor, by exhibiting a quantum confinement regime along with charge carrier confinement, resulted in superior antiviral characteristics evidenced by genomic analysis and Cryo-TEM. The Co3O4 QDs were also efficiently applied for the degradation of the emergent pollutant ciprofloxacin. The Co3O4 QDs were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray excited photoelectron spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the magnetic properties by a magnetic system - superconductor quantum interference device. The chirality of Co3O4 QDs was evidenced by the magnetic circular dichroism spectrum in the spectral region in which the material absorbs. The high content of ferritin in tomato seeds evidenced by electron paramagnetic resonance suggested this protein acts like a nanocage for the growth of Co3O4. Consistently, commercially purified horse spleen ferritin was equally efficient in producing Co3O4 QDs. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the multifunctional platform of Co3O4 QDs satisfactorily attend the requirements to be an efficient photocatalyst as well as exhibiting the potential to be employed as a semiconductor textile-based to combat/ to prevent Coronavirus disease as sustainable personal protective clothing.