Protein immobilization in hollow nanostructures and investigation of the adsorbed protein behavior

Understanding nanomaterial-biomolecule interactions is critical to develop broad applications in sensors, devices, and therapeutics. During the past decade, in-depth studies have been performed on the effect of nanoscale surface topography on adsorbed protein structure and function. However, a fundamental understanding of nanobio interactions at concave surfaces is limited; the greatest challenge is to create a nanostructure that allows such interactions to occur and to be characterized. We have synthesized hollow nanocages (AuNG) through careful control of morphology and surface chemistry. Lysozyme was used as a model to probe interactions between a protein and these nanostructures. Solid Au nanoparticles with a similar morphology and surface chemistry were also used as a reference. Through a series of quantitative analyses of protein adsorption profiles and enzymatic activity assays of both nanobioconjugates, we discovered that a significant amount of protein could be delivered into the core of AuNG, while maintaining a substantial fraction of native activity.