Several applications of graphene
oxide (GO) have been established
over the years, and it has the potential to be used as a biomedical
material. Studying the effect of GO on protein–ligand (small
molecules/drugs) complex systems are vital as the mechanisms involved
are not well understood. The interaction of GO on the protein–ligand
binding is also vital for the preparation of an effective drug carrier
in the bloodstream. In this work, we have tried to explore in details
the effect of GO on the interaction between a hydrophilic molecule,
namely, 7-(N,N′-diethylamino)
coumarin-3-carboxylic acid (7-DCA) with human serum albumin (HSA)
by employing multispectroscopic, microscopic, calorimetric, and molecular
docking studies. We find out that protein–ligand complexes
were placed on the GO surface, and GO gives stability to the protein–ligand
complex via hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic
interactions, and so forth. Due to the presence of a large surface
area in GO, it offers a hydrophobic environment, and as a result,
the emission maxima of 7-DCA in the ternary complex is more blue-shifted,
and the average lifetime becomes higher compared to the binary system.
Circular dichroism spectral studies give information about the conformational
changes of HSA in the absence and presence of GO when it forms complex
with 7-DCA. The fluorescence lifetime imaging study shows the presence
of the 7-DCA/HSA complex on the GO sheet. Molecular docking simulation
shows that the closest distance between 7-DCA and HSA is 11.9 Å,
and the protein interacted with the ligand through hydrogen bonding,
hydrophobic interaction, and so forth.