Protein-templated biomimetic silica nanoparticles

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Biomimetic silica nanoparticles (NPs) offer versatile applications due to their tunable properties.
• Living organisms like diatoms and sponges provide natural models for silica synthesis.
• Protein association with nanomaterials is crucial for biosensing and biocatalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the templating effect of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on silica nanoparticle synthesis.
• To characterize the physicochemical properties of BSA-templated silica NPs.
• To evaluate the protein adsorption and desorption capabilities and reusability of these NPs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of silica NPs with and without BSA template.
• Characterization using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), nitrogen adsorption, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HTEM).
• Protein adsorption/desorption experiments using E. coli extract and laccase, followed by reusability tests.

Main Results:

• BSA templating yielded smaller (250-380 nm) and more monodisperse silica NPs compared to non-templated ones (700-1000 nm).
• BSA-templated NPs exhibited porosity (4-5 nm pores) that reduced upon BSA removal, confirmed by HTEM.
• High positive surface charge enabled efficient adsorption of various proteins, with a high loading capacity (98.7 ± 6.6 mg·g⁻¹) for laccase, and demonstrated quantitative desorption and reusability.

Conclusions:

• BSA effectively directs the synthesis of monodisperse, porous biomimetic silica nanoparticles.
• These NPs possess favorable properties for protein adsorption and immobilization, with demonstrated reusability.
• The biomimetic approach offers a scalable method for producing functionalized silica nanomaterials for biotechnological applications.