Alignment of a conjugated polymer onto amyloid-like protein fibrils

• The amyloid-like fibril is a biomolecular nanowire template of very high stability. Here we describe the coordination of a conjugated polyelectrolyte, poly(thiophene acetic acid) (PTAA), to bovine insulin fibrils with widths of <10 nm and lengths of up to more than 10 m. Fibrils complexed with PTAA are aligned on surfaces through molecular combing and transfer printing. Single-molecule spectroscopy techniques are applied to chart spectral variation in the emission of these wires. When these results are combined with analysis of the polarization of the emitted light, we can conclude that the polymer chains are preferentially aligned along the fibrillar axis.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Nanoteknik -- Nanoteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Nano-technology -- Nano-technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

fibrils

nanowires

polymers

self-assembly

template synthesis

Physics

Fysik

self-assembly

polymers

fibrils

nanowires

template synthesis

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)