Charge transport in vertically aligned, self-assembled peptide nanotube junctions.

The self-assembly propensity of peptides has been extensively utilized in recent years for the formation of supramolecular nanostructures. In particular, the self-assembly of peptides into fibrils and nanotubes makes them promising building blocks for electronic and electro-optic applications. However, the mechanisms of charge transfer in these wire-like structures, especially in ambient conditions, are not yet fully understood.

Controlling the anisotropic magnetic dipolar interactions of PbSe self-assembled nanoparticles on GaAs.

We report on the observation of an anisotropic magnetic dipolar interaction that results from binding PbSe nanoparticles (NPs) to GaAs surfaces by an organic linker. The observed dependence of the blocking temperature on the alignment of the linking molecule relative to the surface normal indicates that the anisotropy is caused by the attachment of the organic linker to the NPs. The presented results may serve as a strategy for fine-tuning the magnetic interactions and anisotropy on surfaces.