Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are promising candidates for a myriad of applications; however, successful utilization of CNCs requires balanced and multifunctional properties, which require ever more applied concepts for supramolecular tailoring. We present here a facile and straightforward route to generate dual functional CNCs using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and biosynthetic elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). We utilize thiol-maleimide chemistry and SI-ATRP to harvest the temperature responsiveness of ELPs and pH sensitivity of PAA to confer multifunctionality to CNCs. Cryo-TEM and light microscopy are used to exhibit reversible temperature response, while atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides detailed information on the particle morphology. The approach is tunable and allows variation of the modifying molecules, inspiring supramolecular engineering beyond the currently presented motifs. The surge of genetically engineered peptides adds further possibilities for future exploitation of the potential of cellulose nanomaterials.

中文翻译：

---

多功能刺激响应纤维素纳米晶体通过基因工程弹性蛋白样多肽和聚（丙烯酸）的双重表面改性

纤维素纳米晶体 (CNCs) 是众多应用的有希望的候选者；然而，CNC 的成功利用需要平衡和多功能的特性，这需要更多应用概念来进行超分子剪裁。我们在这里提出了一种使用聚（丙烯酸）（PAA）和生物合成弹性蛋白样多肽（ELP）生成双功能CNC的简便方法。我们利用硫醇-马来酰亚胺化学和 SI-ATRP 来获取 ELP 的温度响应性和 PAA 的 pH 敏感性，从而赋予 CNCs 多功能性。低温 TEM 和光学显微镜用于展示可逆的温度响应，而原子力显微镜 (AFM) 可提供有关颗粒形态的详细信息。该方法是可调节的，并允许修饰分子的变化，启发超分子工程超越目前呈现的基序。基因工程肽的激增为未来开发纤维素纳米材料的潜力增加了进一步的可能性。