Liamas, E, Connell, S orcid.org/0000-0003-2500-5724 and Sarkar, A orcid.org/0000-0003-1742-2122 (2023) Frictional behaviour of plant proteins in soft contacts: unveiling nanoscale mechanisms. Nanoscale Advances, 5. pp. 1102-1114. ISSN 2516-0230
Abstract
Despite the significance of nanotribology in the design of functional biomaterials, little is known about nanoscale friction in the presence of protein-coated soft contact surfaces. Here, we report a detailed investigation of frictional behaviour of sustainable plant proteins at the nanoscale for the first time, using deformable bio-relevant surfaces that achieve biologically relevant contact pressures. A combination of atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and friction force microscopy with soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, 150 kPa) surfaces was employed to elucidate the frictional properties of model plant proteins, i.e. lupine, pea, and potato proteins at the nanoscale while systematically varying the pH and ionic strength. Interactions of these plant proteins with purified mucins were also probed. We provide the much-needed direct experimental evidence that the main factor dictating the frictional properties of plant proteins is their affinity towards the surface, followed by the degree of protein film hydration. Proteins with high surface affinity, such as pea and potato protein, have better lubricating performance than lupine at nanoscale. Other minor factors that drive lubrication are surface interactions between sliding bodies, especially at low load, whilst, jamming of the contact area caused by larger protein aggregates increase friction. Novel findings reveal that interactions between plant proteins and mucins lead to superior lubricating properties, by combining high surface affinity from the plant proteins and high hydration by mucins. We anticipate that fundamental understanding gained from this work will set the stage for the design of a plethora of sustainable biomaterials and food with optimum nanolubrication performance.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. |
Keywords: | Adhesion; AFM; FFM; Lubrication; QCM-D; Tribology |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) > Molecular & Nanoscale Physics The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Food Science and Nutrition (Leeds) > FSN Colloids and Food Processing (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EU - European Union 757993 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 20 Jan 2023 16:01 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 23:12 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d2na00696k |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Royal Society of Chemistry |
Identification Number: | 10.1039/d2na00696k |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:194767 |