Fabrication of multishaped magnetic structures via a knowledge-based biomimetic approach supported by atomistic modeling - Phase 3

本提案旨在建立一种新的仿生策略，用于控制制造具有定制磁性能的二维氧化物薄膜，比传统的沉积方法更便宜，更环保。根据SPP呼吁的目标，将采用生物化学和遗传学上充分表征的生物矿化模板，即铁蛋白。从几个先前遵循的方法追求组装的纳米粒子膜的制造使用整个蛋白质笼，我们设想利用固定在一个稳定的氧化铝表面作为一个致密的单层的个别铁蛋白亚基。这将允许制造连续的无机膜和具有功能梯度性质的多层的分级组装。对形成机制、材料结构及其磁性的彻底表征将与通过多尺度原子建模进行的深入理论研究并行进行。通过这种方式，我们将首先全面了解成矿条件、所产生的矿物相结构和组成及其物理性质之间的关键关系。这将使我们能够随后根据基于知识的制造协议设计和生产功能性磁性结构，而不是传统的试错循环。应通过利用有机/无机界面处的相互作用来促进和控制矿物生长，如在先进的原子模拟中所阐明的，并通过各种实验方法来实现，结合两个申请人的研究小组的良好建立的相互专业知识。

The present proposal aims to establish a novel biomimetic strategy for the controlled fabrication of two-dimensional oxide films with tailored magnetic properties, in a cheaper and environmentally friendlier way than traditional deposition methods. In line with the objectives of the SPP call, a biochemically and genetically well-characterized biomineralizing template will be employed, namely ferritin. Differently from the few previously followed approaches pursuing the fabrication of assembled nanoparticle films using whole protein cages, we envisage to make use of individual ferritin subunits immobilized on a stable alumina surface as a dense monolayer. This will allow the fabrication of continuous inorganic films and the hierarchical assembling of multi-layers with functionally graded properties. A thorough characterization of the formation mechanisms, of the materials structures and of their magnetic properties will be performed in parallel to an in-depth theoretical investigation by means of atomistic modelling at multiple scales. In this way, we will first develop a comprehensive understanding of the key relationships between the mineralization conditions, the resulting mineral phase structure and composition, and its physical properties. This will allow us subsequently to design and produce functional magnetic structures following a knowledge-based fabrication protocol, rather than a traditional trial-and-error loop. The mineral growth shall be promoted and controlled by taking advantage of the interactions at organic/inorganic interfaces, as elucidated in advanced atomistic simulations and realized by means of a variety of experimental methods, combining the wellestablished mutual expertises of the two applicants’ research groups.