Facile Nondestructive Assembly of Tyrosine-Rich Peptide Nanofibers as a Biological Glue for Multicomponent-Based Nanoelectrode Applications

Achieving the nondestructive assembly of carbon nanoelectrodes with multiple components in a scalable manner enables effective electrical interfaces among nanomaterials. Here, a facile nondestructive multiscale assembly of multicomponent nanomaterials using self-assembled tyrosine-rich peptide nanofibers (TPFs) as a biological glue is reported. The versatile functionalities of the rationally devised tyrosine-rich short peptide allow for (1) self-assembly of the peptide into nanofibers using noncovalent interactions, followed by (2) immobilization of spatially distributed metal nanoparticles on the nanofiber surface, and (3) subsequent assembly with graphitic nanomaterials into a percolated network-structure. This percolated network-structure of silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-decorated peptide nanofibers with imbedded single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) proves to be a versatile nanoelectrode platform with excellent processability. The SWNT–TPF–AgNP assembly, when utilized as a flexible and transparent multicomponent electronic film, was quite effective for enhancing direct electron transfer (DET) as verified for a third-generation glucose sensor composed of this film. The simple solution process used to produce the functional nanomaterials could provide a new platform for scalable manufacturing of novel nanoelectrode materials forming effective electrical contacts with molecules from diverse biological systems.