Nature of Molecular Interactions of Peptides with Gold, Palladium, and Pd−Au Bimetal Surfaces in Aqueous Solution

Synthesis of diphenylalanine/cobalt oxide hybrid nanowires and their application to energy storage

We report the synthesis of novel diphenylalanine/cobalt(II,III) oxide (Co(3)O(4)) composite nanowires by peptide self-assembly. Peptide nanowires were prepared by treating amorphous diphenylalanine film with aniline vapor at an elevated temperature. They were hybridized with Co(3)O(4) nanocrystals through the reduction of cobalt ions in an aqueous solution using sodium borohydride (NaBH(4)) without any complex processes such as heat treatment. The formation of peptide/Co(3)O(4) composite nanowires was characterized using multiple tools, such as electron microscopies and elemental analysis, and their potential application as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries was explored by constructing Swagelok-type cells with hybrid nanowires as a working electrode and examining their charge/discharge behavior. The present study provides a useful approach for the synthesis of functional metal oxide nanomaterials by demonstrating the feasibility of peptide/Co(3)O(4) hybrid nanowires as an energy storage material.

Probing diameter-selective solubilisation of carbon nanotubes by reversible cyclic peptides using molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to explore the encapsulation behaviour of reversible cyclic peptides when adsorbed onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous solution. Our findings suggest that CNT encapsulation via cyclisation of a single peptide chain is relatively less likely, compared with encapsulation via two-chain complexes. These two-chain complexes comprise pairings of the motifs identified for single-chain adsorption. Our simulation data are compared with existing experimental findings [A. Ortiz-Acevedo et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2005, 127, 9512], for relevant CNT diameters, and are found to be consistent with the experimental results. Our data help to explain the limited diameter selectivity reported by Ortiz-Acevedo et al. These findings should help in the optimisation and future design of peptides capable of enhanced selectivity for specific CNT diameters.