Abstract
In recent years, nanomaterials have attracted considerable research attention for biological and medical related applications due to their well-recognized physical and chemical properties. However, the deep understanding of the binding process at the protein-nanomaterial interface is essential to solve the concern of nano-toxicity. Here, we study the interactions between the recently reported graphenic nano-sheets, BC(3) and C(3)N, and a prototypical protein (YAP65WW domain) via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations reveal that elemental doping is an effective way to tune the binding characteristics of YAP65WW with two nanomaterials. While YAP65WW can be attracted by two nanomaterials, the BC(3) sheet is less able to disrupt the protein structure than C(3)N. From the energy point of view, this is because protein residues demonstrate a binding preference with the trend from electron rich nitrogen to electron deficient boron. Structural analyses of the bio-nano interface revealed the formation of an ordered water shell on the BC(3) surface, which was compatible to the crystal pattern of BC(3). When a protein binds with BC(3), these interfacial water molecules protect the protein from being disrupted. We suggest that elemental doping is efficient to produce fruitful biological-effects of graphenic nanomaterials, which make it a prospective solution for the future design and fabrication of advanced nanomaterials with desired function.