Biomimetic reactions interface

A potentially important development for the future of biomimetic research was published recently. Using a procedure developed by Whitesides, nucleophiles micropattemed on a gold surface were used as initiators to prepare poly(Y-benzyl-L-glutamate). Thus, an array of poly(amino acid) layers covalently attached to the surface was obtained. These would potentially act as mediators of biomimetic reactions. German workers have described the production of protein-DNA double and triple layers adsorbed on smfaces. Adhesion between layers was provided by biotin-streptavadin interactions and binding was detected by a quartz crystal microbalance. These studies may have some relevance to the understanding of protein DNA interactions at interfaces in biological systems. 

Biomimetic Redox Reactions at the W/O Interface Coupled with Ion Transfer... 

The ECSOW system has also been applied to a biomimetic redox system, i.e., the oxidation of L-ascorbic acid in W by chloranil added to NB [38]. A comparison of the cyclic voltammograms obtained with the ECSOW system and the O/W interface has provided important suggestions on the possible reaction mechanism at the OAV interface. Thus, the ECSOW system would offer important clues to clarify ET processes at O/W interfaces. 

Bone tissue reactions to biomimetic ion-substituted apatite surfaces on titanium implants. J. R. Soc. Interface, 9 (72), 1615-1624. 

A broad variety of enzymes have been used to catalyze organic reactions in microemulsions. In the majority of cases the enzyme retains both activity and stability in a satisfactory way. Special attention has been given to the use of lipases in W/O microemulsions where the enzyme is located in water droplets of a size not much larger than the hydrodynamic diameter of the protein. Such systems are biomimetic in the sense that lipases in biological systems operate at the interface between hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains, with these interfaces being stabilized by polar lipids and other natural amphiphiles. 

One very interesting class of ET reactions at soft interfaces are those that are photoini-tiated. Following the pioneering studies of the Russian school, including those of Volkov [6] and Kuzmin [7], it has been shown that photosensitizers soluble in one phase are often adsorbed at the interface and can be quenched by electron donor or acceptors. This class of reaction offers interesting perspectives to design biomimetic approaches to artificial photosynthesis. Photoelectrochemistry at the interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) is rather analogous to photoelectrochemistry at a semi-conductor electrode, where the potential drop within the semi-conductor should be considered. 

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