Structural effects and nanoparticle size are essential for quantum dots–metallothionein complex formation

• MSA-capped CdTe QDs and MT do not create firmly bound stabile complex.
• Electrostatic interactions are responsible for interaction of MT with MSA-CdTe QDs.
• QDs size had a strong influence on interaction between QDs and MT.
• The smallest QDs had the highest affinity to MT.

Interaction between semiconductor nanocrystals, cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) capped with mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) and metallothionein (MT) was investigated. MSA-capped CdTe QDs were synthesized in aqueous solution. Mixture of MT and MSA-capped CdTe QDs has been investigated by various analytical methods as follows: tris-tricine gel electrophoresis, fluorescence evaluation and electrochemical detection of catalysed hydrogen evolution. The obtained results demonstrate that MSA-capped CdTe QDs and MT do not create firmly bound stabile complex. However, weak electrostatic interactions contribute to the interaction of MT with MSA-capped CdTeQDs. It can be concluded that QDs size influences the QDs and MT interaction. The smallest QDs had the highest affinity to MT and vice versa.

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