Composites of Bromobenzenethiol Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles and the Fluorescent Poly(Phenylene Ethynylene) pPET3OC12-sqS for Optical Biosensors

Bromobenzenethiol passivated gold nanoparticles were mixed with a poly(phenylene ethynylene) bearing thioester flexible sequences in order to obtain a fluorescent composite for optical biosensors. The particles and the composite were characterized by 1H, 13C NMR, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, TEM and STEM. The particles are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix as observed by electron microscopy. The NMR spectra suggest that the gold particles and the poly(phenylene ethynylene) are probably interacting through the sulfur atoms of the –C(O)S- and –CH2-S-CH2- moieties of the flexible sequences of the polymer as well as through  interactions between the aromatic ring of 4-bromobenzenthiol and the conjugated backbone of pPET3OC12-sqS. The quantum yield of the composite both in solution and in solid state films is slightly lower than that of pPET3OC12-sqS because of the quenching effect of gold. Nonetheless, a change of the fluorescence intensity of the composite films can be detected as a consequence of the contact with microorganisms. Preliminary microbiological assays indicate an antimicrobial effect of the composite film with the E. coli bacteria.