Turning on the Light: Polymorphism-Induced Photoluminescence in Cysteine Crystals

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Banerjee, Debarshi, Chibh, Sonika, Tiwari, Om Shanker, Mirón, Gonzalo Díaz, Monti, Marta, Yakir, Hadar R., Pawar, Shweta, Fixler, Dror, Shimon, Linda J. W., Gazit, Ehud, Hassanali, Ali
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Banerjee, Debarshi
Chibh, Sonika
Tiwari, Om Shanker
Mirón, Gonzalo Díaz
Monti, Marta
Yakir, Hadar R.
Pawar, Shweta
Fixler, Dror
Shimon, Linda J. W.
Gazit, Ehud
Hassanali, Ali
author_facet Banerjee, Debarshi
Chibh, Sonika
Tiwari, Om Shanker
Mirón, Gonzalo Díaz
Monti, Marta
Yakir, Hadar R.
Pawar, Shweta
Fixler, Dror
Shimon, Linda J. W.
Gazit, Ehud
Hassanali, Ali
contents Photoluminescence of non-aromatic supramolecular chemical assemblies has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its potential for use in molecular sensing and imaging technologies. The underlying structural origins, the mechanisms of light emission in these systems, and the generality of this phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that crystals of L-Cysteine (Cys) formed in heavy water ($\text{D}_2\text{O}$) exhibit distinct packing and hydrogen-bond networks, resulting in significantly enhanced photoluminescence compared to those prepared in $\text{H}_2\text{O}$. Using advanced excited-state simulations, we elucidate the nature of electronic transitions that activate vibrational modes of Cys in $\text{H}_2\text{O}$, particularly those involving thiol (S-H) and amine (C-N) groups, which lead to non-radiative decay. For the crystal formed in $\text{D}_2\text{O}$, these modes appear to be more constrained, and we also observe intersystem crossing from the singlet to the triplet state, indicating a potentially more complex light emission mechanism. Our findings provide new insights into this intriguing phenomenon and introduce innovative design principles for generating emergent fluorophores.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_14826
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Turning on the Light: Polymorphism-Induced Photoluminescence in Cysteine Crystals
Banerjee, Debarshi
Chibh, Sonika
Tiwari, Om Shanker
Mirón, Gonzalo Díaz
Monti, Marta
Yakir, Hadar R.
Pawar, Shweta
Fixler, Dror
Shimon, Linda J. W.
Gazit, Ehud
Hassanali, Ali
Chemical Physics
Biological Physics
Optics
Photoluminescence of non-aromatic supramolecular chemical assemblies has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its potential for use in molecular sensing and imaging technologies. The underlying structural origins, the mechanisms of light emission in these systems, and the generality of this phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that crystals of L-Cysteine (Cys) formed in heavy water ($\text{D}_2\text{O}$) exhibit distinct packing and hydrogen-bond networks, resulting in significantly enhanced photoluminescence compared to those prepared in $\text{H}_2\text{O}$. Using advanced excited-state simulations, we elucidate the nature of electronic transitions that activate vibrational modes of Cys in $\text{H}_2\text{O}$, particularly those involving thiol (S-H) and amine (C-N) groups, which lead to non-radiative decay. For the crystal formed in $\text{D}_2\text{O}$, these modes appear to be more constrained, and we also observe intersystem crossing from the singlet to the triplet state, indicating a potentially more complex light emission mechanism. Our findings provide new insights into this intriguing phenomenon and introduce innovative design principles for generating emergent fluorophores.
title Turning on the Light: Polymorphism-Induced Photoluminescence in Cysteine Crystals
topic Chemical Physics
Biological Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.14826