Issue 2, 2010

Protein trapping of silicananoparticles

Abstract

We have observed the formation of proteinnanoparticle complexes at the air–water interfaces from three different methods of presenting the nanoparticles to proteins. The structures formed are remarkably reproducible for the three formation mechanisms. The methods of X-ray and neutron reflectivity (with isotopic contrast variation between the protein and nanoparticles) have been used to study the structures formed at the air–water interface of β-casein presented to silica nanoparticle dispersions. Whilst the silica dispersions showed no observable reflectivity, strong signals appear in the reflectivity when protein is present. Dropwise spreading of a small amount of protein at the air–silica sol interface and presentation of the silica sol to an isolated monomolecular protein film (made by the “flow trough” method (A. W. Perriman, D. J. McGillivray and J. W. White, Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2192–2198)) gave an immediate signal. Mixing the components in solution only produces a slow response but in all cases a similar structure is formed. The different responses are interpreted in structural and stoichiometric ways.

Graphical abstract: Protein trapping of silica nanoparticles

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Sep 2009
Accepted
29 Oct 2009
First published
17 Nov 2009

Soft Matter, 2010,6, 383-390

Protein trapping of silica nanoparticles

J. C. Ang, J. Lin, P. N. Yaron and J. W. White, Soft Matter, 2010, 6, 383 DOI: 10.1039/B919256E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements