CENTER FOR THE SCIENCE OF
SYNTHESIS ACROSS SCALES
Enabling electrostatic fabrication with biomimetic mineralization templates
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September 17, 2024
(Top) Fusing the silica-binding Car9 dodecamer to an elastin-ike peptide leads to micelle formation above 45ºC. These micelles template the mineralization of highly monodisperse SiO2 nanoparticles bearing a positive surface charge. (Bottom) These particles allows for facile electrostatic assembly of a variety of superstructures.
Scientific Achievement
Engineered a micelle-forming protein to mineralize
monodispere silica nanoparticles whose positive surface charge support the assembly of mono- and bi-material superstructures.
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​Significance and Impact
Results open the door to the rational design of a new class of biomimetic mineralization templates for precision material synthesis.​​
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Research Details
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Showed that genetic fusion of a cationic silica-binding dodecapeptide to the thermoresponsive (VPGVG)54 protein leads to micellization, rather than coacervation, at T>45ºC.
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Used the resulting micelles to template the mineralization of low polydispersity ~60 nm SiO2 nanoparticles exhibiting a positive surface charge due to protruding basic sidechains of the protein template.
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Exploited these features for rapid assemble of SiO2 and SiO2/Au architectures in which components of different sizes and compositions are well dispersed and integrated.
Naser, N., W. Wixson, H. Larson, B. Cossairt, L.D. Pozzo and F. Baneyx. (2024). Biomimetic Mineralization of Positively Charged Silica Nanoparticles Templated by Thermoresponsive Protein Micelles: Applications to Electrostatic Assembly of Hierarchical and Composite Superstructures. Soft Matter, 21:166-178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SM00907J
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​Work performed at the University of Washington.