Abstract
Ordered metal coordinated peptide nano-arrays having redox protein, nitrate reductase (NR), on the surface were prepared on mixed self-assembled monolayers containing photo-responsive electron donors, ferrocenyl groups. The amino acid sequence of the peptide was chosen as Leu2Ala(4-Pyri)Leu6Ala(4-Pyri)Leu6. The complexation between metal and Pyridyl groups of the peptide induced the stable and vertically oriented a-helical bundle structure, whose macro-dipole moment was arranged unidirectionally on the surface. The non-linear effect of electron flow through the metal coordinated nano-array was observed along the peptide macro-dipole moment coupled with metal-(4-Pyri) complexes. Upon photo-excitation of ferrocenyl groups on the surface, vectorial electron flow occurred from the excited ferrocenyl groups to the redox protein, NR, at the terminal through the metal coordinated peptide bundle. The activated NR on the surface reduced the NO3-. The system may be useful for the novel molecular devices, such as nano-reactors.
