Optical Analysis of Zinc Oxide Quantum Dots with Bovine Serum Albumin and Bovine Hemoglobin

Quantum dots (QDs) are widely used in medical, industrial, and household applications owing to their excellent biological property. For its wide medical application, the biocompatibility of QDs is an important aspect of research. The aim of the present study was to synthesize zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO-QDs) and to investigate the interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and bovine hemoglobin (BHb) using fluorescence quenching method and circular dichroism (CD). The study suggests that the electrostatic force of attraction favors the adsorption of BSA onto ZnO-QDs. The fluorescence quenching of BSA and BHb using QD indicates the formation of QDs-BSA complexes. The CD spectra also showed the changes in secondary structure of proteins by interacting with QDs.