Modern society is more dependent than ever on technology. As technology advances, so does the urgency of seeking sustainable production methods to address the current energy and environmental crisis. In particular, semiconductor heterostructures are among the most in-demand materials in technology but also the most polluting to produce. In this context, there is a growing demand for new processing strategies capable of fabricating these materials and configurations sustainably, i.e. without the need for a significant energy supply or highly sophisticated methodologies to tune their structure at the micro- and nanometer-length scale. With this in mind, the research presented proposes a novel, bioinspired approach based on molecular recognition to create heterostructured platforms of semiconductors. In particular, we have used the explicit recognition and self-assembly characteristics of polypeptide biomolecules, genetically engineered to bind to specific inorganic surfaces (selective affinity), to produce ordered assemblies of ZnO and TiO₂ under highly sustainable conditions (aqueous processes at room temperature).
This methodology is not only innovative but also versatile since our latest results evidence the possibility of obtaining different configurations depending on the application desired. As a result, we are exploring applications from circuitry to water remediation and photocatalytic processes.