title: Peptide diffusion and self-assembly in ambient water nanofilm on mica surface.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yu-Zhao
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hai-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Mu-Yun
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Sheng-Fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hai-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D010455:Peptides; D014867:Water; C011934:mica