title: Fabrication of coaxial metal nanocables using a self-assembled peptide nanotube scaffold.
abstract: The design and fabrication of complex nanostructures with specific geometry and composition is one of the main challenges of nanotechnology. Here we demonstrate the devise of metal-insulator-metal, trilayered, coaxial nanocables. Such coaxial geometry may give rise to useful and unique electromagnetic properties. We have fabricated these nanostructures using a scaffold of self-assembled peptide nanotubes. Gold nanoparticles were bound to the surface of peptide nanotubes via a common molecular recognition element that was included in various linker peptides. This enabled us to promote site-specific metal reduction and to create the coaxial nanostructure. Using electron microscopy, 1H NMR spectra, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, we monitored the different steps within the process, gaining further understanding of its mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Ohad
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carny
authors.forename: Deborah E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Shalev
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gazit
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D046912:Multiprotein Complexes; D010455:Peptides; D012834:Silver