title: Hybrid Nanoscopy of Hybrid Nanomaterials.
abstract: The combination of complementary techniques to characterize materials at the nanoscale is crucial to gain a more complete picture of their structure, a key step to design and fabricate new materials with improved properties and diverse functions. Here it is shown that correlative atomic force microscopy (AFM) and localization-based super-resolution microscopy is a useful tool that provides insight into the structure and emissive properties of fluorescent β-lactoglobulin (βLG) amyloid-like fibrils. These hybrid materials are made by functionalization of βLG with organic fluorophores and quantum dots, the latter being relevant for the production of 1D inorganic nanostructures templated by self-assembling peptides. Simultaneous functionalization of βLG fibers by QD655 and QD525 allows for correlative AFM and two-color super-resolution fluorescence imaging of these hybrid materials. These experiments allow the combination of information about the topography and number of filaments that compose a fibril, as well as the emissive properties and nanoscale spatial distribution of the attached fluorophores. This study represents an important step forward in the characterization of multifunctionalized hybrid materials, a key challenge in nanoscience.
authors.affiliation: Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanoscience) and Nanobiotechnology Unit Associated to the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), C/Faraday 9, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bondia
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Granada. Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.affiliation: Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanoscience) and Nanobiotechnology Unit Associated to the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), C/Faraday 9, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casado
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Granada. Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Vera
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Granada. Av. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Natividad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gálvez
authors.affiliation: Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanoscience) and Nanobiotechnology Unit Associated to the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), C/Faraday 9, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flors
keywords: atomic force microscopy; correlative microscopy; fluorescence labeling; super-resolution imaging; β-lactoglobulin