title: Protein Cages as Containers for Gold Nanoparticles.
abstract: Abundant and highly diverse, viruses offer new scaffolds in nanotechnology for the encapsulation, organization, or even synthesis of novel materials. In this work the coat protein of the cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is used to encapsulate gold nanoparticles with different sizes and stabilizing ligands yielding stable particles in buffered solutions at neutral pH. The sizes of the virus-like particles correspond to T = 1, 2, and 3 Caspar-Klug icosahedral triangulation numbers. We developed a simple one-step process enabling the encapsulation of commercially available gold nanoparticles without prior modification with up to 97% efficiency. The encapsulation efficiency is further increased using bis-p-(sufonatophenyl)phenyl phosphine surfactants up to 99%. Our work provides a simplified procedure for the preparation of metallic particles stabilized in CCMV protein cages. The presented results are expected to enable the preparation of a variety of similar virus-based colloids for current focus areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aijie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verwegen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de Ruiter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Maassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Christoph H-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Traulsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Nanotechnology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen J L M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
mesh_terms: D017795:Bromovirus; D002021:Buffers; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002845:Chromatography; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010316:Particle Size; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D055672:Static Electricity; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D003102:Colloids; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D006046:Gold