Peptide nanotubes by template

Scientists have developed a process of precision production of polymer nanotubes

DailyTechInfo based on KurzweilAINetwork: Nature-inspired precisely assembled nanotubes

The development of a process that allows the production of a large number of nanostructures, such as nanotubes, with identical parameters, is quite complex, requiring extremely high accuracy of maintaining all process parameters. Over the past few years, scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been studying various types of polymers belonging to the class of peptides, and finally they managed to discover a whole family of synthetic polymers that, when placed in water, independently form transparent hollow nanotubes with a diameter of 100 nanometers and the same length.

"The creation of homogeneous structures in large quantities is a "stumbling block" of modern nanotechnology," says Ron Zuckermann, a scientist from the Lawrence Laboratory, "The production of a large number of nanotubes, the diameter and length of which can be determined at the production stage, can lead, for example, to the emergence of completely new filtration and desalination technologies water."

The researchers focused on studying a special type of peptides called diblock copolypeptoid. These organic substances tend to bind well with lithium ions and therefore new electrolyte compositions for batteries can be created on their basis. Conducting research in this direction, scientists have discovered that polymer nanotubes spontaneously form in an aqueous solution of certain types of peptides.

While scientists still do not know all the subtleties of the process, as a result of which a very large number of absolutely identical nanostructures are formed in the solution. Further research in this direction will make it possible to find out all the subtleties, which will give scientists "control levers" with which it will be possible to control the diameter, length and chemical composition of the produced nanotubes by changing some parameters. But scientists already know that polymer nanotubes self-assemble in solution without the presence of various nano-helpers, such as electrostatic interactions or molecular networks with hydrogen bonds.

"We did not expect that sufficiently complex nanostructures could be assembled without the help of additional "crutches", which make traditional production methods extremely expensive," says Ron Zuckerman, "We have already managed to find out that the chemical interactions that bind the parts of nanotubes are quite simple. And the most interesting thing is that nanotubes are formed only in the presence of two peptides, hydrophobic, water repellent, and hydrophilic. The chemical properties of these peptides are radically different, and, apparently, this is the "engine" of the nanotube formation process."

In their further research, scientists will continue experimenting with other types of peptides and this, they hope, will give them the opportunity to control the characteristics of the created nanotubes and the possibility of assembling nanostructures of other shapes and sizes.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  13.04.2016