Poly(l-alanine)-modified nanoporous colloidal films

Abstract

The surfaces of nanopores in colloidal films assembled from 255 nm silica spheres were modified with poly(L-alanine) brushes using surface-initiated polycondensation. Polymer length was controlled by the polymerization time. The molecular transport through the colloidal films was studied using cyclic voltammetry as a function of polymer brush thickness, temperature, and pH. Transport rates through the colloidal films were found to be dependent on temperature and pH, with the magnitude of the effect dependent on the length of the polypeptide chain.