NANOSCALE: Using Protein Crystals as Templates for the Assembly of Nanostructured Solids

William Marsh Rice University, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

9986534 Colvin This proposal seeks to exploit the vast effort in protein crystal growth technology in the formation of mesoporous films. The use of these bio-crystals in x-ray crystallography requires essentially perfectly ordered samples, with long-range periodicity extending up to ~1 millimeter. Protein crystallographers have been successful in growing these samples for more than 1000 different proteins. Once grown, such crystals can be used as templates for a range of different materials, by adapting the templating techniques which have been demonstrated in colloidal crystals or surfactants. This will lead to the formation of nearly ideal ordered mesoporous materials, in a planar format suitable for optical applications. These materials will be excellent candidates for x-ray photonic band gap systems. ***