Biotemplates for obtaining of microtubes capped by gold covered silica nanoparticles

• Grant number: 12/14642-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2012
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Emerson Rodrigues de Camargo
• Grantee: Amanda Donatti
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Recently, several studies showed that it is possible to obtain materials with complex structures exhibiting optical and catalytic properties of technological interest employing macromolecules as templates for the self-organization of functional nanoparticles. Considering the technological potential and scientific challenges involved, the use of templates for hybrid materials preparations has been little explored. From the observed results in preliminary experiments performed in our Research Group, this Proposal has the objective to understand and increase the use of fungi as alive biotemplates to obtain hybrid materials formed by microtubes built block-to-block with inorganic colloidal nanoparticles of silica-coated with gold. There are several questions that remain open about the type of interaction between nanoparticles and cell walls, for instance, what leads to the first layer formation and about which forces are still acting to form the successive layers. In this study, microtubes with controlled morphologic characteristics will be prepared from the deposition of colloidal silica nanoparticles coated with gold over a fungus (Penicillium brasilianum). After that, this material will be submitted to thermal or chemical treatment to eliminate the biological structure and it will be characterized about its structure and organization aiming its future like support to the construction of sensor devices.(AU)