Controlled self-assembly of biomolecular rods on structured substrates

Area of Science:

• Biomolecular self-assembly
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Controlling the orientational ordering of semi-flexible biomacromolecules is crucial for designing advanced materials.
• Evaporative self-assembly is a common technique for creating ordered structures.
• Substrate topography can influence molecular self-assembly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evaporative self-assembly and orientational ordering of M13 phages.
• To explore the effect of asymmetric stranded webs of carbon films on phage ordering.
• To establish a novel route for designing ordered biomacromolecular structures.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of thin amorphous carbon films with asymmetric stranded webs.
• Dispersion of M13 phages at low concentration in an isotropic phase.
• Observation of self-assembly and ordering using transmission electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• M13 phages exhibited evaporative self-assembly and orientational ordering on the carbon film webs.
• Substrate edges induced nematic ordering and bending of the semi-flexible phages.
• Phages were observed to align parallel to the curved substrate edges.

Conclusions:

• Asymmetric carbon film substrates can effectively guide the self-assembly and orientational ordering of M13 phages.
• This substrate-directed assembly provides a new strategy for creating two-dimensional ordered structures of semi-flexible biomacromolecules.
• The findings open avenues for designing novel biomaterials with tailored molecular arrangements.