Composites of Proteins and 2D Nanomaterials

Recent advances in the nanotechnology of 2D materials, combined with parallel improvements in biotechnology and synthetic biology, have demonstrated that novel and more complex composite materials with desired engineered properties and optimized performance can be achieved. The expanding family of 2D crystals fosters research efforts on nonequilibrium materials such as nanostructured composites and complex heterostructures. In particular, controlled assembly of 2D crystals with biomolecules to form composites attracts special interest since it enables precise control over the physical properties of the resulting material. To facilitate the fabrication of these novel bio-inorganic composite materials by design, it is crucial to understand and control molecular interactions between 2D crystals and the complementary bio-system. In particular, protein-based materials with the ability to initiate multiple physical or chemical interactions with 2D crystals prove to be a suitable match for constructing functional bio-inorganic composites with programmable properties using molecular biology tools. In this review, a detailed survey on emerging nanostructured composites of 2D materials and proteins is presented, and a comprehensive analysis regarding their interactions is provided. Recent and potential applications along with future directions of research regarding the merge of synthetic biology with 2D systems are also discussed.