Peptide diffusion and self-assembly in ambient water nanofilm on mica surface.
Ambient water nanofilms confined on solid surfaces usually show properties not seen in bulk and play unique roles in many important processes. Here we report diffusion and self-assembly of peptides in ambient water nanofilms on mica, based on "drying microcontact printing" and ex situ atomic force microscopy imaging. We found that diffusion and self-assembly of several peptides in the water nanofilms on mica resulted in one-dimensional "epitaxial" nanofilaments. The peptide self-assembly process is sensitive to the amount of water on the surface, and different peptides with varied molecular structures show different humidity-dependent behaviors. In addition, some peptides that cannot form nanofilaments on substrates in bulk water can be successfully self-assembled into nanofilaments in the water nanofilm.
Li
Hai
H
Zhang
Feng
F
Zhang
Yi
Y
Ye
Ming
M
Zhou
Bo
B
Tang
Yu-Zhao
YZ
Yang
Hai-Jun
HJ
Xie
Mu-Yun
MY
Chen
Sheng-Fu
SF
He
Jian-Hua
JH
Fang
Hai-Ping
HP
Hu
Jun
J
D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D010455:Peptides; D014867:Water; C011934:mica