Using cytochrome c(3) to make selenium nanowires,
Abdelouas, A., Gong W. L., Lutze W., Shelnutt J. A., Franco R., and Moura I.
, Chemistry of Materials, Jun, Volume 12, Number 6, p.1510-+, (2000)
AbstractWe report on a new method to make nanostructures in aqueous solution at room temperature. We used the protein cytochrome c(3) to catalyze reduction of selenate (SeO42-) to selenium Se-0 by dithionite. Reduction was instantaneous. After a week spherical nanoparticles of red Se-0 (about 50 nm diameter) precipitated, followed by self-assembling into crystalline nanowires, typically 1 mu m long. The nanowires were composed of one strand of spherical particles; thicker strands contained several nanoparticles in parallel.