SILICA MESOPOROUS AEROGELS HAVING THREE-DIMENSIONAL NANOARCHITECTURE WITH COLLOIDAL GOLD-PROTEIN SUPERSTRUCTURES NANOGLUED THEREIN

This disclosure describes the first viable non-enzyme protein encapsulated within an aerogel. In this, a large excess of cyt. c is added to a commercial buffered Au sol solution ( ) which results in the formation of a gold~protein-protein superstructure in the absence of separation techniques which destroy the superstructure. The gold~protein-protein superstructure is then nanoglued into a silica framework during the sol to gel transition. To form the gel, the Au~cyt. c superstructure in buffered medium is added to a silica sol and the composite gels are washed with acetone followed by liquid carbon dioxide and then supercritically dried to form the aerogel. The biocomposite aerogels have a multiplicity of applications particularly in the realm of sensing and energy transformation.