Abstract
Amyloid fibrils have recently gained a lot of attention due to their morphology, functionality and mechanical strength, allowing for their application in nanofiber-based materials, biosensors, bioactive membranes and tissue engineering scaffolds. The in vitro production of amyloid fibrils is still a slow process, thus hampering the massive production of nanofibers and its consequent use. This work presents a new and faster (2–3 h) fibrillation method for hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) using a deep eutectic solvent based on cholinium chloride and acetic acid. Nanofibers with dimensions of 0.5–1 μm in length and 0.02–0.1 μm in thickness were obtained. Experimental variables such as temperature and pH were also studied, unveiling their influence in fibrillation time and nanofibers morphology. These results open a new scope for protein fibrillation into nanofibers with applications ranging from medicine to soft matter and nanotechnology.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 36-44 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Colloids And Surfaces B-Biointerfaces |
Volume | 147 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2016 |