A Versatile Solid Binding Peptide to Control Protein-Inorganic Interactions

Car9 is a dodecaptide that was originally identified for its ability to bind graphitic materials through electrostatic and ∏-∏ interactions and later found to adhere to silica. Beyond carbon alloform discrimination and the affinity purification of proteins, we show here that the Car9 tag is a remarkably versatile tool that supports: (i) one-step, chemically addressable micro-contact printing of functional proteins; (ii) controlled release of proteins from sol-gel materials; (iii) manipulation of carbon nanostructures; (iv) and synthesis of hybrid materials with unique optical properties.