title: Self-assembly of α-helices to form rare two-dimensional square P4mm symmetry via silica mineralization.
abstract: Space oddity: The synthesis of a polypeptide-silica complex with a rare two-dimensional square P4mm structure is reported. The electrostatic "zipping" of the interacting amino and carboxylate groups along the α-helices and the diagonal formation of the silica wall between the α-helices were optimal for the identical azimuthal orientation of α-helices toward 2D square P4mm structure, which generated a new polypeptide liquid crystal phase diagram.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240 (P.R. China).
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Shunai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Che
mesh_terms: D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals; D010455:Peptides; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: alpha-helix; electrostatic zipper; polypeptides; self-assembly; silica mineralization