Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

C60 Bioconjugation with Proteins: Towards a Palette of Carriers for All pH Ranges

Matteo Di Giosia
* ORCID logo ,
Francesco Valle
,
Andrea Cantelli
,
Andrea Bottoni
,
Francesco Zerbetto
,
Matteo Calvaresi
*
Version 1 : Received: 16 March 2018 / Approved: 19 March 2018 / Online: 19 March 2018 (09:09:25 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 27 April 2018 / Approved: 28 April 2018 / Online: 28 April 2018 (11:46:45 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Di Giosia, M.; Valle, F.; Cantelli, A.; Bottoni, A.; Zerbetto, F.; Calvaresi, M. C60 Bioconjugation with Proteins: Towards a Palette of Carriers for All pH Ranges. Materials 2018, 11, 691. Di Giosia, M.; Valle, F.; Cantelli, A.; Bottoni, A.; Zerbetto, F.; Calvaresi, M. C60 Bioconjugation with Proteins: Towards a Palette of Carriers for All pH Ranges. Materials 2018, 11, 691.

Abstract

The high hydrophobicity of fullerenes and the resulting formation of aggregates in aqueous solutions hamper the possibility of their exploitation in many technological applications. Noncovalent bioconjugation of fullerenes with proteins is an emerging approach for their dispersion in aqueous media. Contrary to covalent functionalization, bioconjugation preserves the physicochemical properties of the carbon nanostructure. The unique photophysical and photochemical properties of fullerenes are then fully accessible for applications in nanomedicine, sensoristic, biocatalysis and materials science fields. And yet, proteins are not universal carriers. Their stability depends on the biological conditions for which they have evolved. Here we present two model systems based on pepsin and trypsin. These proteins have opposite net charge at physiological pH. They recognize and disperse C60 in water. UV-Vis spectroscopy, zeta-potential and atomic force microscopy analysis demonstrates that the hybrids are well dispersed and stable in a wide range of pH’s and ionic strengths. A previously validated modelling approach identifies the protein binding pocket involved in the interaction with C60. Computational predictions, combined with experimental investigations, provide powerful tools to design tailor-made C60@proteins bioconjugates for specific applications.

Keywords

fullerenes; nanohybrids; nanobiotechnology; bioconjugation; chemical stability

Subject

Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanotechnology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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