Biotemplate Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticles and Nanowires

摘要

We address the template-directed deposition of metals on microtubule supports for generating metal nanostructures with different morphologies. Microtubules are highly ordered protein assemblies of tubular structure with a high aspect ratio. In this approach, the biostructure serves as a functionalised scaffold where the metal is generated in situ and shaped into a nanostructure with its morphology complementary to that of the biotemplate. When the biotemplate is coupled to an appropriate chemical reaction, different Ag / protein structures are produced, ranging from microtubules densely covered by small Ag nanoparticles to continuous Ag nanowires.