High Thermal Diffusivity in Thermally Treated Filamentous Virus-Based Assemblies with a Smectic Liquid Crystalline Orientation

Abstract

Polymers are generally considered thermal insulators because the amorphous arrangement of the polymeric chains reduces the mean free path of heat-conducting phonons. Recent studies reveal that individual chains of polymers with oriented structures could have high thermal conductivity, because such stretched polymeric chains effectively conduct phonons through polymeric covalent bonds. Previously, we have found that the liquid crystalline assembly composed of one of the filamentous viruses, M13 bacteriophages (M13 phages), shows high thermal diffusivity even though the assembly is based on non-covalent bonds. Despite such potential applicability of biopolymeric assemblies as thermal conductive materials, stability against heating has rarely been investigated. Herein, we demonstrate the maintenance of high thermal diffusivity in smectic liquid crystalline-oriented M13 phage-based assemblies after high temperature (150 °C) treatment. The liquid crystalline orientation of the M13 phage assemblies plays an important role in the stability against heating processes. Our results provide insight into the future use of biomolecular assemblies for reliable thermal conductive materials.

Tunable thermal diffusivity of silk protein assemblies based on their structural control and photo-induced chemical cross-linking

“…Recent studies have revealed that bulk lms comprising structurally regular biopolymers, such as nanocellulose, lamentous viruses, and designed tandem-repeat proteins, are promising thermally conductive materials. 19,20,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] The chemical cross-linking of SF materials has recently been used in addition to physical cross-linking, through the formation of crystalline antiparallel b-sheets, to improve and/or pioneer physicochemical properties and functions. With relatively high amounts of Tyr residues in SF (Tyr: 5.3 mol% Gly: 45.9 mol%, Ala: 30.3 mol%, Ser: 12.1 mol%, and Val: 1.8 mol%), 31,32 it was reported that the oxidation of adjacent Tyr residues by horseradish peroxidase or ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation resulted in chemically cross-linked SF by the effective formation of dityrosine.…”

“…Recent studies have revealed that bulk films comprising structurally regular biopolymers, such as nanocellulose, filamentous viruses, and designed tandem-repeat proteins, are promising thermally conductive materials. 19,20,23–30…”

A possibility of polaron vortex magnet of polypyrrole prepared in virus liquid crystal

“…The fd phage/conjugated polymer composite was investigated, and a cube of phage‐polymer was realized 3 . Virus‐based piezoelectric energy generation, 4 virus/polyethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) nanowires for bio sensors, 5 conducting polymers bearing human influenza‐sensing function, 6 conducting polymer‐based COVID‐19 detector, 7 high thermal diffusivity in filamentous M13 phage, 8 virus‐based fabrictions, 9 fabrication of virus fibers, bioactive hydrogels, 10 and chemically modified viruses, 11 have been reported. An M13KE bacteriophage‐based structural colorimetric sensor was developed 12 .…”