Biomimetic synthesis of titania nanoparticles induced by protamine.
Protamine, a kind of cationic protein extracted from sperm nuclei, was employed for the first time in vitro to induce the formation of a titania/protamine nanoparticle composite from a water-stable titanium precursor, titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato) dihydroxide (Ti-BALDH). The resulting titania/protamine nanoparticle composite was extensively characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The titania/protamine nanoparticle composite was of amorphous structure, and exhibited a different morphology from those prepared by an alkali-catalyzed approach. The catalyzing and templating function of protamine involved in the synthesis of the nanoparticle composite is discussed, and a mechanism tentatively proposed. In addition, the effects of pH and temperature on the amount and size of as-prepared titania/protamine nanoparticle composite were systematically investigated.
Jiang
Yanjun
Y
Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China.
Yang
Dong
D
Zhang
Lei
L
Li
Lin
L
Sun
Qianyun
Q
Zhang
Yufei
Y
Li
Jian
J
Jiang
Zhongyi
Z
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D002417:Cattle; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011479:Protamines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013696:Temperature; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
D011479:Protamines; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium