Plant-virus proteins guide gold nanoparticles into eco-friendly sheets for solar tech
Using proteins from a common tobacco plant virus, McGill chemistry researchers have developed a simple, eco-friendly way to arrange gold nanoparticles into ultrathin sheets, strengthening the particles' optical properties. The result: cheaper, safer materials for solar panels, sensors and advanced optical devices. Gold nanoparticles are only effective in strengthening optical signals when the nanoparticles are arranged on a surface and spaced at exact distances. Until now, creating those patterns required harsh chemicals and tightly controlled lab conditions. The McGill team's breakthrough was to modify a tobacco mosaic virus so that it would self-assemble into sheets in water at room temperature, with the nanoparticles properly spaced.
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