Sticking particles to solid surfaces using Moringa oleifera proteins as a glue

Experimental studies have been made to test the idea that seed proteins from Moringa oleifera which are novel, natural flocculating agents for many particles could be used to promote adhesion at planar interfaces and hence provide routes to useful nanostructures. The proteins bind irreversibly to silica interfaces. Surfaces that had been exposed to protein solutions and rinsed were then exposed to dispersions of sulfonated polystyrene latex. Atomic force microscopy was used to count particle density and identified that the sticking probability was close to 1. Measurements with a quartz crystal microbalance confirmed the adhesion and indicated that repeated exposures to solutions of Moringa seed protein and particles increased the coverage. Neutron reflectivity and scattering experiments indicate that particles bind as a monolayer. The various results show that the 2S albumin seed protein can be used to fix particles at interfaces and suggest routes for future developments in making active filters or improved interfaces for photonic devices.