Application of nanoparticles for materials recognition using peptide phage display technique - Part I: Preliminary study using LaPO₄ and TiO₂ nanoparticles

Peptides with specific sequences against LaPO₄ and TiO₂ nanoparticles were discovered through peptide phage display technique as an application to biomolecular recognition of inorganic materials. Sequencing results showed that a motif consisting of serine and proline was commonly expressed in specific sequences. It was postulated that serine directly bound to nanoparticles using its terminal hydroxyl (OH) group. In this sense, oxygen atom seemed to work as a ligand to metal ions and hydrogen atom as a H-bond donor, was thought to bind to the oxygen atoms or the hydroxyl groups on particle surface. Also, it was expected dig proline assists serine to make an ideal van der Whals contact between serine and nanoparticles, which optimizes the binding of peptide onto surface.