Genetically and Morphologically Manipulated Bacteriophage as Templates for Inorganic Janus-Like Particles and Their Photocatalytic Application

Recently, viruses have been investigated as versatile, hierarchical templates with site-specific affinity. Peptides displayed via genetic or chemical modification can facilitate the selective synthesis of one or more inorganic materials on viral surface proteins, while viral structure can control the long-range assembly of these materials. The M13 phage was studied here for its ability to bind multiple materials and undergo a drastic morphological change, making it a powerful scaffold for metal-semiconductor Janus particle assembly. Unlike core-shell structures which isolate one material from the surrounding environment, two-faced particles preserve the chemical activity of both materials, promoting efficient photocatalytic activity. This work characterized the M13 shape transformation then employed the phage as a template for a ZnS/Au Janus-like particle. The novel nanoparticle was used in the photo-degradation of methylene blue, and the photo-generated electron pathway was studied. This work represents one of the first examples of application of the genetically and morphologically modified M13.