Effects of biomineralization peptide topology on the structure and catalytic activity of Pd nanomaterials.

Highly branched, coral-like Pd nanostructures were formed using a biomineralization peptide conjugated to an oligomeric peptide that simultaneously controls the spatial orientation, arrangement and valency. The Pd nanocoral showed very high catalytic activity in the reduction of nitrophenol. The results highlight the importance of topological arrangement in nanostructure formation and catalytic activity.