Nanopatterning by protein unfolding

Abstract

Molecular layers patterned on the nanoscale, with long-range order properties extending over the microscopic scale, have been obtained upon adsorption of commonly available proteins onto the hydrophobic and long-range ordered surface of pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). Proteins lose their native folding and polypeptide chains re-assemble on the surface in a layered fashion, forming a molecular bilayer. This behaviour is rather general since it is observed for different proteins irrespective of their specific structural properties.