Compartmentalized Thin Films with Customized Functionality via Interfacial Cross‐linking of Protein Cages

Abstract

Hybrid thin films with a high loading and homogeneous dispersion of functional nanoparticles (and/or molecules) find applications in (bio)sensors and electronic devices. The fabrication of such hybrid thin films, however, suffers from the complex and diverse surface and physicochemical properties of individual nanoparticles. To address this challenge, a facile and general strategy toward compartmentalized thin films through the interfacial cross-linking of viral protein cages is reported. Employing these protein cages, gold nanoparticles, as well as enzyme horseradish peroxidase, are encapsulated into virus-like particles and then cross-linked into thin films with a thickness varying from monolayer to submicron dimensions. These compartmentalized thin films not only ensure that the cargo is homogeneously dispersed, but also display good catalytic activity. This strategy is, in principle, applicable for a wide range of (bio)-organic nanocontainers, enabling the versatile fabrication of 2D thin films with extensive application prospects.

Structural nanotechnology: three-dimensional cryo-EM and its use in the development of nanoplatforms forin vitrocatalysis

“…This allows carriage of native or commercial enzymes and their expression in chimeric hosts, at the cost of a slight reduction in catalytic efficiency. 12,77 This method has been used to encapsulate single enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase, 77 and multiple enzymes such as a DNA-heme-based DNAzyme and glucose oxidase. 12 These negatively charged chains resemble the native cargo and stabilize the nanoreactor at physiological conditions, thus enabling CCMV to be used as an artificial nanocage.…”

“…CCMV-based nanoreactors, loaded with enzymes or inorganic catalysts, have also been applied in thin film assemblages to create effective catalysts for in vivo use. 77 3.1.2. Bacteriophage P22.…”

Virus-based organelles : enzyme and DNA-based virus nanostructures and their cellular interactions

“…180 Working towards applications, we encapsulated gold nanoparticles, using various sizes and ligands. 181,182 This resulted in virus structures of various sizes which are dependent on the size of the gold nanoparticles. The protein coat helps stabilizing the nanoparticles in buffered conditions so they could be used for catalytic applications.…”

“…Although, at a cost of some slight reduction in catalytic efficiency. 182,189 This method has been applied to encapsulate DNA-heme based peroxidase (DNAzyme), catalase and glucose oxidase, which is a fast working enzyme relevant for glucose sensors and cancer treatment. The use of DNA in this work is especially elegant, because it allows the co-encapsulation of two or more enzymes in one cage.…”

Encapsulins as functional protein nanocages

“…The enzyme loaded VLP complex was carried out similarly to literature procedures, 28,43 albeit with a different enzyme. To get negatively charged ASNase, the enzyme was reacted to sulfo-EMCS (40 μM…”