M13 Virus-Incorporated Biotemplates on Electrode Surfaces To Nucleate Metal Nanostructures by Electrodeposition.

We report a virus-incorporated biological template (biotemplate) on electrode surfaces and its use in electrochemical nucleation of metal nanocomposites as an electrocatalytic material for energy applications. The biotemplate was developed with M13 virus (M13) incorporated in a silicate sol-gel matrix as a scaffold to nucleate Au-Pt alloy nanostructures by electrodeposition, together with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The phage when engineered with Y3E peptides could nucleate Au-Pt alloy nanostructures, which ensured adequate packing density, simultaneous stabilization of rGO, and a significantly increased electrochemically active surface area.

Gold dendrites Co-deposited with M13 virus as a biosensor platform for nitrite ions.

We developed a biosensor for nitrite ion on an electrode surface modified with M13 viruses and gold nanostructures. Gold dendritic nanostructures (Au-DNs) are electrochemically co-deposited from 4E peptides engineered M13 virus (M13) mixed electrolyte on to the ITO electrode. The M13 could specifically nucleate Au precursor (Gold (III) chloride), which enable the efficient growth of dendritic nanostructures, whereas such dendritic structures were not obtained in the presence of wild-type and Y3E peptides engineered M13 viruses.

In Situ Growth of Prussian Blue Nanostructures at Reduced Graphene Oxide as a Modified Platinum Electrode for Synergistic Methanol Oxidation.

Herein, we report a facile synthetic strategy for the in situ growth of Prussian blue nanostructures (PB NSs) at the amine-functionalized silicate sol-gel matrix (TPDT)-RGO composite via the electrostatic interaction. Subsequently, Pt nanostructures are electrodeposited onto the preformed ITO/TPDT-RGO-PB electrode to prepare the RGO/PB/Pt catalyst. The significance of the present method is that the PB NSs are in situ grown by interconnecting the RGO layers, leading to 3D cage-like porous nanostructure.