Synthesis and electron microscopic analysis of the self-assembly of polymer and ferritin core-shell structures.
Self-assembly of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and ferritin produced a spherical core-shell structure, which was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In particular, for better understanding, the organization of such core-shell nanostructures, an optimal protocol for preparation of TEM thin sectioning of ferritin-P4VP composites, was developed. It entails fixing the ferritin-P4VP complex with 2.5% glutaraldehyde and infiltrating it with a mixture of acetone/resin while omitting the OsO(4) postfixation and ethanol dehydration steps of the conventional protocol. Using this method, a round-shaped thin section structure with unevenly distributed dark and white components was observed. The dark component from the thin section structure was determined to contain ferritin by energy-filtered TEM imaging and iron element mapping, whereas the white part was identified as P4VP by its energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum.
Wu
Laying
L
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Nanocenter, University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter St, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA.
Li
Tao
T
Blom
Douglas
D
Zhao
Jibin
J
Ghoshroy
Soumitra
S
Wang
Qian
Q
D000818:Animals; D005293:Ferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006736:Horses; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry*
D011145:Polyvinyls; C019535:poly(4-vinylpyridine); D005293:Ferritins