De novo designed peptides form a highly catalytic ordered nanoarchitecture on a graphite surface

Nanoscale. 2022 Jun 16;14(23):8326-8331. doi: 10.1039/d2nr01507b.

Abstract

Here we demonstrate that short peptides, de novo designed from first principles, self-assemble on the surface of graphite to produce a highly robust and catalytic nanoarchitecture, which promotes peroxidation reactions with activities that rival those of natural enzymes in both single and multi-substrate reactions. These designable peptides recapitulate the symmetry of the underlying graphite surface and act as molecular scaffolds to immobilize hemin molecules on the electrode in a hierarchical self-assembly manner. The highly ordered and uniform hybrid graphite-peptide-hemin nanoarchitecture shows the highest faradaic efficiency of any hybrid electrode reported. Given the explosive growth of the types of chemical reactions promoted by self-assembled peptide materials, this new approach to creating complex electrocatalytic assemblies will yield highly efficient and practically applicable electrocatalysts.

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Graphite* / chemistry
  • Hemin / chemistry
  • Peptides / chemistry

Substances

  • Peptides
  • Hemin
  • Graphite