Proton conducting materials play a central role in a diverse array of renewable energy and bioelectronics technologies. Thus, a great deal of research effort has been expended to develop improved artificial proton conducting materials, including ceramic oxides, solid acids, porous solids, polymers, and metal-organic frameworks. Within this context, proton conductors from naturally occurring proteins have received relatively little scientific attention, despite advantages that include intrinsic biocompatibility, structural modularity, tunable physical properties, ease and specificity of functionalization, and generalized expression/purification protocols. We have recently characterized the cephalopod structural protein reflectin with a diverse array of electrical and electrochemical techniques and found that this material is an effective proton conductor, with figures of merit that compare favorably to those of artificial analogues. Our findings may hold implications for the development of the next generation of biologically-inspired proton conducting materials.<br/>

Proton conduction in a cephalopod structural protein

251st National Meeting (2016)

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