Bionanocomposites with Enhanced Physical Properties from Curli Amyloid Assemblies and Cellulose Nanofibrils.
Vinay KhatriMaziar JafariRoger GaudreaultMarc BeauregardMohamed SiajDenis ArchambaultÉric LorangerSteve BourgaultPublished in: Biomacromolecules (2023)
Proteinaceous amyloid fibrils are one of the stiffest biopolymers due to their extensive cross-β-sheet quaternary structure, whereas cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) exhibit interesting properties associated with their nanoscale size, morphology, large surface area, and biodegradability. Herein, CNFs were supplemented with amyloid fibrils assembled from the Curli-specific gene A (CsgA) protein, the main component of bacterial biofilms. The resulting composites showed superior mechanical properties, up to a 7-fold increase compared to unmodified CNF films. Wettability and thermogravimetric analyses demonstrated high surface hydrophobicity and robust thermal tolerance. Bulk spectroscopic characterization of CNF-CsgA films revealed key insights into the molecular organization within the bionanocomposites. Atomic force microscopy and photoinduced force microscopy revealed the high-resolution location of curli assemblies into the CNF films. This novel sustainable and cost-effective CNF-based bionanocomposites supplemented with intertwined bacterial amyloid fibrils opens novel directions for environmentally friendly applications demanding high mechanical, water-repelling properties, and thermal resistance.
Keyphrases
- atomic force microscopy
- single molecule
- high resolution
- high speed
- room temperature
- ionic liquid
- single cell
- physical activity
- mass spectrometry
- high throughput
- mental health
- molecular docking
- aqueous solution
- copy number
- gene expression
- candida albicans
- reduced graphene oxide
- gold nanoparticles
- amino acid
- molecular dynamics simulations
- silver nanoparticles
- genome wide identification