@article{chandler_minevich_roark_viard_johnson_rizvi_deaton_kozlov_panigaj_tracy_et al._2021, title={Controlled Organization of Inorganic Materials Using Biological Molecules for Activating Therapeutic Functionalities}, volume={13}, ISSN={["1944-8252"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c09230}, DOI={10.1021/acsami.1c09230}, abstractNote={Precise control over the assembly of biocompatible three-dimensional (3D) nanostructures would allow for programmed interactions within the cellular environment. Nucleic acids can be used as programmable crosslinkers to direct the assembly of quantum dots (QDs) and tuned to demonstrate different interparticle binding strategies. Morphologies of self-assembled QDs are evaluated via gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dissipative particle dynamics simulations, with all results being in good agreement. The controlled assembly of 3D QD organizations is demonstrated in cells via the colocalized emission of multiple assembled QDs, and their immunorecognition is assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RNA interference inducers are also embedded into the interparticle binding strategy to be released in human cells only upon QD assembly, which is demonstrated by specific gene silencing. The programmability and intracellular activity of QD assemblies offer a strategy for nucleic acids to imbue the structure and therapeutic function into the formation of complex networks of nanostructures, while the photoluminescent properties of the material allow for optical tracking in cells in vitro.}, number={33}, journal={ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Chandler, Morgan and Minevich, Brian and Roark, Brandon and Viard, Mathias and Johnson, M. Brittany and Rizvi, Mehedi H. and Deaton, Thomas A. and Kozlov, Seraphim and Panigaj, Martin and Tracy, Joseph B. and et al.}, year={2021}, month={Aug}, pages={39030–39041} }
 @article{mcgoorty_singh_deaton_peterson_taliaferro_yingling_castellano_2018, title={Bathophenanthroline Disulfonate Ligand-Induced Self-Assembly of Ir(III) Complexes in Water: An Intriguing Class of Photoluminescent Soft Materials}, volume={3}, ISSN={2470-1343 2470-1343}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b02034}, DOI={10.1021/acsomega.8b02034}, abstractNote={Strong evidence of concentration-induced and dissolved electrolyte-induced chromophore aggregation has been universally observed in numerous water soluble bis-cyclometalated Ir(III) photosensitizers bearing the sulfonated diimine ligands bathophenanthroline disulfonate and bathocuproine disulfonate. This new class of aqueous-based soft materials was highly photoluminescent in their aggregated state where detailed spectroscopic investigations of this phenomenon revealed significant blue shifts of their respective photoluminescence emission spectra with concomitant increases in excited-state lifetimes and quantum yields initiating even at micromolar chromophore concentrations in water or upon the addition of a strong electrolyte. A combination of nanoscale particle characterization techniques, static and dynamic photoluminescence spectroscopic studies, along with atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of these soft materials suggests the formation of small, heterogeneous nanoaggregate structures, wherein the sulfonated diimine ancillary ligand serves as a pro-aggregating subunit in all instances. Importantly, the experimental and MD findings suggest the likelihood of discovering similar aqueous aggregation phenomena occurring in all transition-metal complexes bearing these water-solubilizing diimine ligands.}, number={10}, journal={ACS Omega}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={McGoorty, Michelle M. and Singh, Abhishek and Deaton, Thomas A. and Peterson, Benjamin and Taliaferro, Chelsea M. and Yingling, Yaroslava G. and Castellano, Felix N.}, year={2018}, month={Oct}, pages={14027–14038} }