Nanoengineering multifunctional hybrid interfaces using adhesive glycogen nanoparticles

Multifunctional and biodegradable nanostructured hybrid interfaces based on biopolymers are potentially useful in many applications in catalysis, bioanalytical sensing and nanomedicine. Herein, we report the engineering of multifunctional hybrid films by assembling adhesive biological nanoparticles composed of lipoate-conjugated phytoglycogen (L-PG). These nano building blocks possess adhesive properties, arising from their amphiphilic nature, and reactive functional disulfide groups. The assembly of L-PG on surfaces enabled the rapid and conformal deposition of a thin film on substrates of varying chemical composition and wettability. The L-PG films showed negligible cytotoxicity and moderate stability under different conditions but displayed enzyme-mediated degradability. In addition, metal nanoparticles were embedded into the L-PG layers to build up multilayered hybrid films. Specifically, gold and silver nanoparticle-loaded L-PG multilayered films with catalytic and surface-enhanced Raman scattering properties were prepared. Finally, we highlight the versatility of the present approach to engineer multifaceted interfaces for catalysis and sensing applications.