Peptide-Mediated Constructs of Quantum Dot Nanocomposites for Enzymatic Control of Nonradiative Energy Transfer

A bottom-up approach for constructing colloidal semiconductor quantum dot (QDot) nanocomposites that facilitate nonradiative Forster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) using polyelectrolyte peptides was proposed and realized. The electrostatic interaction of these polypeptides with altering chain lengths was probed for thermodynamic, structural, and morphological aspects. The resulting nanocomposite film was successfully cut with the protease by digesting the biomimetic peptide layer upon which the QDot assembly was constructed. The ability to control photoluminescence decay lifetime was demonstrated by proteolytic enzyme activity, opening up new possibilities for biosensor applications.