Kinetics of Surface-Driven Self-Assembly and Fatigue-Induced Disassembly of a Virus-Based Nanocoating

摘要: Abstract Self-assembling protein layers provide a "bottom-up" approach for precisely organizing functional elements at the nanoscale over large solid surface area. The design of sheets with architecture and physical properties suitable nanotechnological applications may be greatly facilitated by thorough understanding principles that underlie their self-assembly disassembly. In previous study, hexagonal lattice formed capsid (CA) human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was self-assembled as monomolecular layer directly onto substrate, its mechanical dynamics equilibrium were analyzed atomic force microscopy. Here, we use microscopy to analyze kinetics planar CA on substrate disassembly, either spontaneous or induced materials fatigue. Both disassembly are cooperative reactions proceed until phase is reached. Self-assembly requires critical concentration initiated formation nucleation points followed growth eventual merging patches into continuous monolayer. Disassembly showed hysteresis appears only after enough defects (nucleation points) in lattice, whose number largely increased inducing fatigue depends load frequency. Implications kinetic results obtained better HIV protein-based two-dimensional nanomaterials anti-HIV drugs targeting (dis)assembly biocompatible nanocoatings discussed.