Self assembly of nanostructured materials

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Although there have been many recent advances in synthesizing nanosized components, the assembly of these components into deterministic and controllable patterns remains a major challenge in the field. Such control is required to produce new nanostructured materials that have well-defined and reproducible properties. Because "top-down" manipulation of materials on this length scale is increasingly challenging, alternate methods such as self-assembly have been sought. We look to biological systems for inspiration, as the complex systems that enable life are all self-assembled. This research program focuses on using biomolecules, specifically Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) coat proteins as scaffolds for self-assembly, taking advantage of their specificity and versatility. Four billion years of evolution produced a robust and chemically well-defined protein shell, which we will now use for advances in nanotechnology. We focus on understanding and controlling the collective behaviors of nanoparticles in order to develop hierarchical nanostructured materials with desired properties. Our main objectives are: (i) To assemble thin films and bulk nanostructured materials with desired optical and/or magnetic properties such as tunable index of refraction, localized electric or magnetic field enhancement, or externally triggered optical polarization; (ii) To elucidate structure-function relationships for TMV coat protein assembly, use our knowledge to rationally design protein modifications that achieve new assembly behaviors, and refine protein-protein interactions to tune structure, supramolecular interaction, and therefore function; and (iii) To use our TMV template to build magnetic nanoring structures to incorporate localized magnetic control into chemical processes. We are poised to make major advances in optical and magnetic materials, as detailed in this proposal. We will be able to elicit a range of optomagnetic effects using light as a trigger, such as optical filtering and polarization, optical switching in TMV-templated waveguides, and magnetic field induced switching between chemical reaction products. HQP working on these projects will be trained in cutting edge techniques for assembling and characterizing hierarchical nanostructured materials. The work proposed will translate to a wide range of applications, particularly in optical materials, enabling disruptive innovations in chemistry and biotechnology. Progress in these areas will positively impact Canada's social and economic wellbeing.