This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome interior favor spherical nanoparticles.
The findings offer a new strategy for controlling nanoscale reaction environments in nanoparticle synthesis. Gold nanoparticles possess unique optical and chemical properties owing to their size and shape. Thus, precise control over their growth is important for applications in sensing, catalysis, imaging and other technologies.
However, controlling where nucleation and growth occur during nanoparticle synthesis remains challenging, particularly under mild and environmentally friendly conditions. In such cases, biomineralization peptides—short chains of amino acids capable of promoting metal reduction and directing nanoparticle formation—offer a promising approach. Nanoparticle growth is also influenced by the local reaction environment.
In confined systems like liposomes, the membrane interface and internal aqueous compartment provide distinct environments, raising the question of whether biomineralization peptide positioning within these spaces could alter nanoparticle growth. To investigate this, a research team led by Associate Professor Masayoshi Tanaka from the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), together with Graduate Student Yuya Abe from the Department of Chemical Science & Engineering, Science Tokyo, and Professor Stephen D. Evans from the University of Leeds, developed liposomal nanoreactors containing biomineralization peptides.
Their study, published in Advanced Functional Materials on Aug. 18, 2026, demonstrates that peptide localization can help control gold nanoparticle growth. To explore how peptide positioning affects nanoparticle growth, the researchers used liposomes as nanoscale reaction compartments and introduced a gold precursor, HAuCl₄. They first examined B3, a peptide known to both reduce gold ions and influence nanoparticle shape.
When B3 was used, it predominantly localized near the liposome membrane, resulting in highly branched, anisotropic Au/liposome complexes. Transmission electron microscopy and elemental mapping revealed that gold was preferentially concentrated toward the periphery of these structures, indicating that nanoparticle growth occurred close to the membrane interface. The researchers then changed the liposome composition by introducing the cationic lipid DOTAP.
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