Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition as a Method for the Deposition of Peptide Nanotubes
Abstract
We explore a new process for the formation of peptide nanotubes (PNTs) using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). This state-of-the-art process allows coating of substrates with various peptides, while controlling the uniformity of the coating regardless of the substrate and with lower costs. In this study, a custom-built PECVD chamber (housed at AFRL/RX) has been modified to allow for the sublimation of solid monomers into the plasma stream and coat a variety of substrates held downstream from the plasma zone. The project was carried out in two stages; the first stage tested the feasibility of depositing diphenylalanine PNTs on activated carbon electrodes using PECVD in collaboration with AFRL. The second stage tested the quality of the deposited nanotubes and its effect on electrical capacitance and the contribution to the transfer of electrical cargo on activated carbon electrodes. Herein, we have demonstrated that surfaces such as activated carbon (both rough and smooth) can be coated with a layer of diphenylalanine peptide nanostructures. Coating rough carbon surfaces with peptides nanotubes can be inhomogeneous, but when these surfaces are treated with nitric acid, prior to the application of the peptides, the peptide coatings rearranged in homogenous forms of wires and tubes on the surface.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 17, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA586436
Entities
People
- Ehud Gazit
- Lihi Adler-abramovich
- Linoam Eliad
- Milana C Vasudev
- Rajesh R Naik
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory