Investigating resonance energy transfer from protein molecules to van der Waals nanosheets

The resonance energy transfer (RET) from tryptophan present in bovine serum albumin (BSA) to two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials has been reported. In these bio-nano systems, BSA molecules act as efficient donors while 2D van der Waals nanosheets of graphene, molybdenum disulfide (Mo$S_2$) and tungsten disulfide (W$S_2$) act as acceptors. The fluorescence emission from tryptophan arises at 350 nm, in presence of 2D nanosheets, the fluorescence intensity of BSA decreases. The time resolved fluorescence study shows that there is decrease in the fluorescence lifetime of BSA molecules in presence of 2D nanosheets. The decrease in fluorescence lifetime of BSA confirms the energy transfer phenomenon in bio-nano interactions. This study is important for finding the bio-compatibility of 2D nanomaterials in biological applications.