Abstract
Nanochemistry is a huge field of study. Both because nano-objects (nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanolayers, etc.) possess unique properties and also because of the very important applications (sensors, catalysis, molecular memory and electronics, batteries/cells, etc.) that arise from their study. In this lecture, we illustrate this research by discussing some original recent results concerning electrically conductive nanowires. More specifically, we focus on a new class of nanowires, hybrid assemblies comprising biological elements (DNA, protein, etc.), the carriers, on which metallic elements are deposited or attached, conferring the conductive properties. For example, certain proteins, under certain conditions, have a tendency to aggregate, thanks to a domain called "prion", in an organized fashion to give what are known as amyloid fibers. Controlling this aggregation can lead to nanofibers or nanowires that can be functionalized, for example by depositing (conductive) metals such as gold, silver or platinum. The resulting artificial conductive nanobiowires are not unlike the natural protein threads used by some bacteria to communicate with each other, or to breathe on scarce metal oxides. The latter are extensions of the cell's outer membrane, with a large number of electron transfer proteins (cytochromes) on their surface, ensuring long-distance electron transfer.
