Photorelease of carboxylic acids mediated by visible-light-absorbing gold-nanoparticles

Visible-light-absorbing citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles and tryptophan-dithiane-conjugate-stabilized gold nanoparticles have been used to mediate electron transfer between dithiothreitol (DTT), a good electron donor, and an N-methylpicolinium ester in aqueous solution. Quantitative yield of the free carboxylate has been obtained with quantum yields of release, 4),1, ranging from 0.5 to 4.5.