University of Texas System

Darpa

Chuanbin Mao

Angela M Belcher

Daniel J Solis

Brian D Reiss

Sanjay K Banerjee

Shan Tang

The present invention includes methods for producing magnetic nanocrystals by using a biological molecule that has been modified to possess an amino acid oligomer that is capable of specific binding to a magnetic material.

Peptide mediated synthesis of metallic and magnetic materials

Provided in one embodiment is a method of forming an inorganic nanowire, comprising: providing an elongated organic scaffold; providing a plurality of inorganic nanoparticles attached to the organic scaffold along a length of the organic scaffold; and fusing the nanoparticles attached to the organic scaffold to form an inorganic nanowire.

Inorganic nanowires

A method for fabricating a flash memory device where the flash memory device includes a substantially uniform size and spatial distribution of nanoparticles on a tunnel oxide layer to form a floating gate. The flash memory device may be fabricated by defining active areas in a substrate and forming an oxide layer on the substrate. A self-assembled protein lattice may be formed on top of the oxide layer where the self-assembled protein lattice includes a plurality of molecular chaperones. The cavities of the chaperones may provide confined spaces where nanocrystals can be trapped thereby forming an ordered nanocrystal lattice. A substantially uniform distribution of nanocrystals may be formed on the oxide layer upon removal of the self-assembled protein lattice such as through high temperature annealing.

Nanoparticles in a flash memory using chaperonin proteins

An inorganic nanowire having an organic scaffold substantially removed from the inorganic nanowire, the inorganic nanowire consisting essentially of fused inorganic nanoparticles substantially free of the organic scaffold, and methods of making same. For example, a virus-based scaffold for the synthesis of single crystal ZnS, CdS and free-standing L10 CoPt and FePt nanowires can be used, with the means of modifying substrate specificity through standard biological methods. Peptides can be selected through an evolutionary screening process that exhibit control of composition, size, and phase during nanoparticle nucleation have been expressed on the highly ordered filamentous capsid of the M13 bacteriophage. The incorporation of specific, nucleating peptides into the generic scaffold of the M13 coat structure can provide a viable template for the directed synthesis of a variety of materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials. Removal of the viral template via annealing can promote oriented aggregation-based crystal growth, forming individual crystalline nanowires. The unique ability to interchange substrate specific peptides into the linear self-assembled filamentous construct of the M13 virus introduces a material tenability not seen in previous synthetic routes. Therefore, this system provides a genetic tool kit for growing and organizing nanowires from various materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials.

An inorganic nanowire having an organic scaffold substantially removed from the inorganic nanowire, the inorganic nanowire consisting essentially of fused inorganic nanoparticles substantially free of the organic scaffold, and methods of making same. For example, a virus-based scaffold for the synthesis of single crystal ZnS, CdS and free-standing L10 CoPt and FePt nanowires can be used, with the means of modifying substrate specificity through standard biological methods. Peptides can be selected through an evolutionary screening process that exhibit control of composition, size, and phase during nanoparticle nucleation have been expressed on the highly ordered filamentous capsid of the M13 bacteriophage. The incorporation of specific, nucleating peptides into the generic scaffold of the M13 coat structure can provide a viable template for the directed synthesis of a variety of materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials. Removal of the viral template via annealing can promote oriented aggregation-based crystal growth, forming individual crystalline nanowires. The unique ability to interchange substrate specific peptides into the linear self-assembled filamentous construct of the M13 virus introduces a material tunability not seen in previous synthetic routes. Therefore, this system provides a genetic tool kit for growing and organizing nanowires from various materials including semiconducting and magnetic materials.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Chuanbin Mao