A viral β-annulus peptide connected with a zinc oxide (ZnO)-binding sequence (HCVAHR) at its N-terminal was synthesized, and the inclusion behavior of quantum-sized ZnO nanoparticles into the peptide nanocapsules formed by self-assembly of the peptide in water was investigated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed that ZnO nanoparticles (approximately 10 nm) in the presence of the peptide (0.1 mM) formed assemblies with an average size of 48 ± 24 nm, whereas ZnO nanoparticles in the absence of the peptide formed large aggregates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the ZnO nanoparticles in the presence of the peptide revealed that ZnO nanoparticles were encapsulated into the peptide nanocapsules with a size of approximately 50 nm. Fluorescence spectra of a mixture of the peptide and ZnO nanoparticles suggested that the ZnO surface and the peptide interact. Template synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with the peptide nanocapsules afforded larger nanoparticles (approximately 40 nm), which are not quantum-sized ZnO.
Keywords: ZnO nanoparticle; inclusion; nanocapsule; self-assembly; β-annulus peptide.