Abstract
Filamentous viruses called M13 bacteriophages are promising materials for devices with thin film coatings because phages are functionalizable, and they can self-assemble into smectic helicoidal nanofilament structures. However, the existing “pulling” approach to align the nanofilaments is slow and limits potential commercialization of this technology. This study uses an applied electric field to rapidly align the nanostructures in a fixed droplet. The electric field reduces pinning of the three-phase contact line, allowing it to recede at a constant rate. Atomic force microscopy reveals that the resulting aligned structures resemble those produced via the pulling method. The field-assisted alignment results in concentric color bands quantified with image analysis of red, green, and blue line profiles. The alignment technique shown here could reduce self-assembly time from hours to minutes and lend itself to scalable manufacturing techniques such as inkjet printing.
Highlights
Self-assembly is a strategy in nanofabrication that enables long-range ordering of nanomaterials into highly-organized structures with unique optical, electrical, or magnetic properties [1,2,3,4]
Distinct concentric color banding occurred in deposits of M13 bacteriophage droplets that evaporated in the presence of an alternating electric field (Figure 3)
The magnitude of the electrowetting force oscillates with the applied field, and periodically exceeds pinning forces between defects on the substrate surface and the three-phase contact line, allowing the contact line to move freely [25]. This periodic slip-stick motion resulted in near-constant recession of the contact line during droplet evaporation that promoted the self-assembly of M13 bacteriophage smectic helicoidal nanofilaments (SHNs) structures similar to the films produced by the pulling method [16,21]
Summary
Self-assembly is a strategy in nanofabrication that enables long-range ordering of nanomaterials into highly-organized structures with unique optical, electrical, or magnetic properties [1,2,3,4]. It overcomes limitations in traditional nanofabrication methods such as the need for expensive equipment, high-cost materials, and extensive manufacturing protocols [5,6]. Bacteriophages can be genetically engineered, so specific protein motifs can be added to its surface to create binding sites for other molecules Due to these unique properties, thin films of self-assembled phage SHNs are utilized in a range of devices including phage litmus sensors, rechargeable batteries, and piezoelectric
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