Biomimetic and Aggregation-Driven Crystallization Route for Room-Temperature Material Synthesis:  Growth of β-Ga₂O₃ Nanoparticles on Peptide Assemblies as Nanoreactors

Abstract

The room temperature synthesis of β-Ga 2 O 3 nanocrystal was examined by coupling two biomimetic crystallization techniques, the enzymatic peptide nano-assembly templating and the aggregationdriven crystallization. The catalytic template of peptide assembly nucleated and mineralized primary β-Ga 2 O 3 crystals, and then fused them to grow single-crystalline and monodisperse nanoparticles in the cavity of the peptide assembly at room temperature. In this work, the peptide assembly was exploited as a nano-reactor with an enzymatic functionality catalyzing the hydrolysis of gallium precursors. In addition, the characteristic ring-structure of peptide assembly is expected to provide an efficient dehydration pathway and the crystallization control over the surface tension, which are advantageous for the β-Ga 2 O 3 crystal growth. This multifunctional peptide assembly could be applied for syntheses of a variety of nanomaterials that are kinetically difficult to grow at room temperature.

Discovery of Catalytic Peptides for Inorganic Nanocrystal Synthesis by a Combinatorial Phage Display Approach

“…Previously, the peptide-assisted aggregation-driven crystal fusion via the non-classical crystallization path was observed in other nanocrystal growths [12] , and the similar fusing process also undergoes in the peptide-catalyzed ZnO nanocrystal growth. When morphologies of ZnO nanocrystals between 4 days and 3 weeks are compared with HR-TEM (Figs.…”

The Biomimetic Mineralization Closer to a Real Biomineralization

“…The surface chemical structure as well as the confinement effect of the peptide nanorings was likely to induce the unusual crystallization of the tetragonal BaTiO 3 nanoparticles (Nuraje, et al, 2006). By using the similar method, -Ga 2 O 3 semiconductor crystals that are known to be kinetically unfavoured to grow under ambient conditions, were successfully synthesized (Lee, et al 2007). Where, the peptide assembly captured primary GaOOH particles, mineralized them into -Ga 2 O 3 crystals by its catalytic functions, and then fused them to grow monodisperse, single-crystalline, 50 nm particles in the cavity of the peptide assembly.…”

Growth of aragonite calcium carbonate nanorods in the biomimetic anodic aluminum oxide template

“…One potential factor accounting for this solid nanorod structure is the role of dipeptide, which may promote the dehydration of calcium species that bind aragonite needles during mineralization. The juxtaposed functional groups of side chains in Ser and His are known to promote dehydration of hydrolyzed inorganic ions [34,37]. Therefore, the hydrolyzed calcium species can be dehydrated to form solid calcium carbonate.…”