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Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Formation of Ordered Biomolecular Structures by the Self-assembly of Short Peptides
Published on: November 21, 2013
Conducting microhelices from self-assembly of protein fibrils
Fredrik G Bäcklund1, Anders Elfwing, Chiara Musumeci
1Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden. aelf@ifm.liu.se.
Abstract:
Herein we utilize insulin to prepare amyloid based chiral helices with either right or left handed helicity. We demonstrate that the helices can be utilized as structural templates for the conducting polymer alkoxysulfonate poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT-S). The chirality of the helical assembly is transferred to PEDOT-S as demonstrated by polarized optical microscopy (POM) and Circular Dichroism (CD). Analysis of the helices by conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM) shows significant conductivity. In addition, the morphology of the template structure is stabilized by PEDOT-S. These conductive helical structures represent promising candidates in our quest for THz resonators.
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