title: Chitosan-mediated and spatially selective electrodeposition of nanoscale particles.
abstract: Nanoscale particles offer a variety of interesting properties, and there is growing interest in their assembly into higher ordered structures. We report that the pH-responsive aminopolysaccharide chitosan can mediate the electrodeposition of model nanoparticles. Chitosan is known to electrodeposit at the cathode surface in response to a high localized pH. To demonstrate that chitosan can mediate nanoparticle deposition, we suspended fluorescently labeled latex nanoparticles (100 nm diameter spheres) in a chitosan solution (1%) and performed electrodeposition (0.05 mA/cm2 for several minutes). Results demonstrate that chitosan is required for nanoparticle electrodeposition; chitosan confers spatial selectivity to electrodeposition; and nanoparticles distribute throughout the electrodeposited chitosan film. Additionally, we observed that the deposited films reversibly swell upon rehydration. This work indicates that chitosan provides a simple means to assemble nanoparticles at addressable locations and provides further evidence that stimuli-responsive biological materials may facilitate fabrication at the microscale.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biosystems Research, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, 5115 Plant Sciences Building, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors.forename: Li-Qun
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kyuyong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Douglas S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: English
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Losert
authors.forename: Gregory F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Payne
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004595:Electroplating; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007840:Latex / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007840:Latex; D048271:Chitosan