Solvation dynamics inside confined systems

Abstract

In the present work, we have observed the formation of micelles using different surfactants like SDS, CTAB, and SDS. Micelles are formed when concentration exceeds the critical micelle concentration. The coumarin 480 dye was used as a solute probe to understand the behaviour of water molecules inside the stern layer of micelles. The blue shift observed in the PL spectra of coumarin 480 was due to its presence in the stern layer of micelles which restricts the motion of water molecules. Furthermore, the behaviour of solute probe coumarin 480 was studied when encapsulated inside the ATP/PDADMAC droplet. The electrostatic interactions between negatively charged ATP and positively charged PDADMAC results in the fabrication of ATP/PDADMAC coacervates. The presence of coumarin 480 dye inside the ATP coacervates was confirmed using CLSM. Next, different hybrid coacervate droplets were fabricated to study their interior environment using solvation dynamics. Here, we utilized negatively charged carbon dots (CDs), quantum dots (QDs) with a counterpart positively charged polymer (PDADMAC) to obtain CD embedded coacervates and QD-embedded coacervates. The fabrication of these droplets was confirmed using CLSM and FESEM imaging and further, we fabricate HSA condensate @AuNCs.