Regular arrangement of nanoparticles from the gas phase on bacterial surface-protein layers

Abstract

FePt nanoparticles from the gas phase are deposited onto the two-dimensional crystalline surface layer protein from the bacterium Bacillus sphaericus NCTC 9602. The potential of this protein layer to facilitate the ordered spatial arrangement of the otherwise statistically distributed nanoparticles on the substrate is studied. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the particles positions to be directed by the regular protein template.