Self-organization of hydrophobin membranes formation at flattened-top domical water drops: a structural and mechanistic study using Atomic Force Microscope

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26600005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nanostructural chemistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Haruyama Tetsuya 九州工業大学, 大学院生命体工学研究科, 教授 (30251656)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): FUKUMA Takeshi 金沢大学, 電子情報学系, 教授 (90452094)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: HFB / 自己組織化膜 / AFM / 電気化学 / 界面機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

HFBI is a species of hydrophobin protein that forms precise and structured self-organized membranes at air/water interfaces. When HFBI is dissolved in water droplets on a solid substrate, the top face of the water droplet becomes flattened through development of a self-organized HFBI membrane, as shown in the images below. This is a unique interface phenomenon. Self-organized HFBI membranes appear to be very strong. To determine the buckling strength of HFBI self-organized membrane, we analyzed them using AFM. The buckling strength of HFBI membranes is about twice as strong as the surface tension of HFBI containing water. This mechanistic study explains why water droplets containing HFBI have flattened tops.

Free Research Field

界面機能工学