(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2006) Allen, Mark Andrew; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Trevor Douglas
Supramolecular proteins that assemble into cage like architectures have been used for nano-material synthesis and as a scaffold for metal binding. Material synthesis can be performed by exploiting the cage-like properties of these nano-containers and relying on the electrostatically distinct interior environment that drive mineral encapsulation. Ferritin and ferritin like proteins can be used as size constrained reaction vessels that encapsulate materials that have sizes that are determined by the internal dimensions of the protein cage. These range from 5 nm for the ferritin like protein from Listeria innocua to 24 nm for the interior of an engineered plant virus (Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus). Inorganic materials synthesized within these constrained reaction volumes are monodisperse in size. The crystallinity and phase of material prepared is determined by the reaction conditions, which are mild compared to other preparative methods.
