This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program supports research in the laboratories of Dr. Trevor Douglas at Temple University. The research involves the in vitro self-assembly of cowpea chlorotic mottle virus protein subunits into icosahedral particles with cavity sizes of 110, 180, 320, or 550 angstroms. These viron cages will be used for the template directed synthesis of discretely sized iron oxide particles. The coat protein will be modified, via site-directed mutagensis and chemical derivatization, to enhance metal binding by introducing histidine, cysteine, glutamic acid, catechol or phosphate moieties. Magnetite or maghemite nanoparticles will then be grown inside the native or derivative viron cage. Structural characterization of the nanoparticles will be accomplished using electron diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Size and temperature dependent magnetic characteristics of the iron oxide particles will be examined via SQUID magnetometry and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The use of viron architecture to entrap inorganic guests is expected to produce inorganic particles in a range of discrete sizes exhibiting properties tailored for their use. This research is expected to have applications in the fields of magnetic separation, magnetic resonance imaging, and miniaturized information storage.
