1. Silk protein nanowires patterned using electron beam lithography
- Author
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Ramendra K. Pal and Vamsi K. Yadavalli
- Subjects
Silicon ,Materials science ,Nanowire ,Fibroin ,Electrons ,Bioengineering ,Nanotechnology ,Thiophenes ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Sericin ,Animals ,General Materials Science ,Sericins ,Electrical and Electronic Engineering ,Conductive polymer ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Bioelectronics ,Nanowires ,Mechanical Engineering ,Electric Conductivity ,General Chemistry ,Polymer ,Bombyx ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,0104 chemical sciences ,Biodegradation, Environmental ,Nanolithography ,chemistry ,Mechanics of Materials ,Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ,Methacrylates ,Polystyrenes ,Printing ,Fibroins ,0210 nano-technology ,Electron-beam lithography - Abstract
Nanofabrication approaches to pattern proteins at the nanoscale are useful in applications ranging from organic bioelectronics to cellular engineering. Specifically, functional materials based on natural polymers offer sustainable and environment-friendly substitutes to synthetic polymers. Silk proteins (fibroin and sericin) have emerged as an important class of biomaterials for next generation applications owing to excellent optical and mechanical properties, inherent biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, the ability to precisely control their spatial positioning at the nanoscale via high throughput tools continues to remain a challenge. In this study electron beam lithography (EBL) is used to provide nanoscale patterning using methacrylate conjugated silk proteins that are photoreactive 'photoresists' materials. Very low energy electron beam radiation can be used to pattern silk proteins at the nanoscale and over large areas, whereby such nanostructure fabrication can be performed without specialized EBL tools. Significantly, using conducting polymers in conjunction with these silk proteins, the formation of protein nanowires down to 100 nm is shown. These wires can be easily degraded using enzymatic degradation. Thus, proteins can be precisely and scalably patterned and doped with conducting polymers and enzymes to form degradable, organic bioelectronic devices.
- Published
- 2018
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