Cooperative colloidal self-assembly of metal-protein superlattice wires.

ABSTRACT: Material properties depend critically on the packing and order of constituent units throughout length scales. Beyond classically explored molecular self-assembly, structure formation in the nanoparticle and colloidal length scales have recently been actively explored for new functions. Structure of colloidal assemblies depends strongly on the assembly process, and higher structural control can be reliably achieved only if the process is deterministic. Here we show that self-assembly of cationic spherical metal nanoparticles and anionic rod-like viruses yields well-defined binary superlattice wires. The superlattice structures are explained by a cooperative assembly pathway that proceeds in a zipper-like manner after nucleation. Curiously, the formed superstructure shows right-handed helica

SUBMITTER: Liljestrom V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5610313 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature