Bio-inspired mineralization of zinc oxide in presence of ZnO-binding peptides

Dissolved peptides have a substantial influence on the zinc oxide (ZnO) morphology during bio-inspired precipitation at near-neutral pH and 37 °C. The influences of three different ZnO-binding peptides were investigated, which have isoelectric points in the acidic, near neutral and basic pH range, respectively. It can be shown, that (1) the peptides inhibit the crystal growth of ZnO crystals by selective adsorption on the surfaces. (2) Ostwald rule of stages is the key for understanding the precipitation mechanism under bio-inspired conditions and (3) layered basic zinc salts (LBZs) are metastable phases within the precipitation mechanism.