Event Information

Qian Wang (University of South Carolina)
Biological Particles Directed Chemistry and Nanomaterials Development
Abstract:
The generation of nano materials with hierarchical ordered structure is the basis for the development of novel optical, electronic, acoustic and magnetic materials. Plant viruses and other biological particles can be considered as nature nanoparticles that can be tailored chemically and genetically. Compared with the inorganic nanoparticles, the uniform shape and size of bionanoparticles provide highly promising possibilities in self-assembly study for the construction of nanoscale materials with hierarchical ordering. On the basis of the surface modification with conventional bioconjugation chemistry, “click” reaction, and genetic modification, we can control the self-assembly of spherical particles and rod-like tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to form 1D, 2D and 3D self-assemblies. In particular, functional nanofibers were synthesized by the one-dimensional assembly of TMV and sequential polymerization. Such kind of nanofibers can be readily dispersed in water and it show very interesting conductivity and other physical properties. Two-dimensional ordered films were produced using interfacial assembly of viral particles and sequential cross-linking reactions. Finally, these hierarchically assembled structures offer a unique scaffold to investigate the cell response.

Host: Stephen Craig

Tuesday, February 27, 2007, 11:40am
Departmental Seminar