Observation of Ice-Like Two-Dimensional Flakes on Self-Assembled Protein Monolayer without Nanoconfinement under Ambient Conditions

IF 26.6 1区材料科学 Q1 Engineering

Nano-Micro Letters Pub Date : 2025-03-14 DOI:10.1007/s40820-025-01689-1

Wuxian Peng, Linbo Li, Xiyue Bai, Ping Yi, Yu Xie, Lejia Wang, Wei Du, Tao Wang, Jian-Qiang Zhong, Yuan Li

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Directly correlating the morphology and composition of interfacial water is vital not only for studying water icing under critical conditions but also for understanding the role of protein–water interactions in bio-relevant systems. In this study, we present a model system to study two-dimensional (2D) water layers under ambient conditions by using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) supporting the physisorption of the Cytochrome C (Cyt C) protein layer. We observed that the 2D island-like water layers were uniformly distributed on the SAMs as characterized by atomic force microscopy, and their composition was confirmed by nano-atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, these 2D flakes could grow under high-humidity conditions or melt upon the introduction of a heat source. The formation of these flakes is attributed to the activation energy for water desorption from the Cyt C being nearly twofold high than that from the SAMs. Our results provide a new and effective method for further understanding the water–protein interactions.

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来源期刊

Nano-Micro Letters NANOSCIENCE & NANOTECHNOLOGY-MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CiteScore

32.60

自引率

4.90%

发文量

981

审稿时长

1.1 months

期刊介绍： Nano-Micro Letters is a peer-reviewed, international, interdisciplinary, and open-access journal published under the SpringerOpen brand. Nano-Micro Letters focuses on the science, experiments, engineering, technologies, and applications of nano- or microscale structures and systems in various fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, material science, and pharmacy.It also explores the expanding interfaces between these fields. Nano-Micro Letters particularly emphasizes the bottom-up approach in the length scale from nano to micro. This approach is crucial for achieving industrial applications in nanotechnology, as it involves the assembly, modification, and control of nanostructures on a microscale.