Temperature-dependent morphology of hybrid nanoflowers from elastin-like polypeptides

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2014 · APL Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4863235· OSTI ID:22269561

Ghosh, Koushik; Balog, Eva Rose M.; Sista, Prakash; Williams, Darrick J.; Kelly, Daniel ^[1]

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1. Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

We report a method for creating hybrid organic-inorganic “nanoflowers” using calcium or copper ions as the inorganic component and a recombinantly expressed elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) as the organic component. Polypeptides provide binding sites for the dynamic coordination with metal ions, and then such noncovalent complexes become nucleation sites for primary crystals of metal phosphates. We have shown that the interaction between the stimuli-responsive ELP and Ca{sup 2+} or Cu{sup 2+}, in the presence of phosphate, leads to the growth of micrometer-sized particles featuring nanoscale patterns shaped like flower petals. The morphology of these flower-like composite structures is dependent upon the temperature of growth and has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The composition of nanoflowers has also been analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The temperature-dependent morphologies of these hybrid nanostructures, which arise from the controllable phase transition of ELPs, hold potential for morphological control of biomaterials in emerging applications such as tissue engineering and biocatalysis.

• OSTI ID: 22269561
• Journal Information: APL Materials, Vol. 2, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2014 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2166-532X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
CALCIUM
CALCIUM IONS
COPPER IONS
CRYSTALS
HYBRIDIZATION
INTERACTIONS
MORPHOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHOSPHATES
POLYPEPTIDES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
X-RAY DIFFRACTION
X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY