Observation of gold sub-nanocluster nucleation within a crystalline protein cage.

ABSTRACT: Protein scaffolds provide unique metal coordination environments that promote biomineralization processes. It is expected that protein scaffolds can be developed to prepare inorganic nanomaterials with important biomedical and material applications. Despite many promising applications, it remains challenging to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of formation of metal nanoparticles in protein environments. In the present work, we describe a crystalline protein cage constructed by crosslinking treatment of a single crystal of apo-ferritin for structural characterization of the formation of sub-nanocluster with reduction reaction. The crystal structure analysis shows the gradual movement of the Au ions towards the centre of the three-fold symmetric channels of the protein cage to form a sub-na

SUBMITTER: Maity B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5357307 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature