Hybrid nanocomposites of gold single-crystal platelets and amyloid fibrils with tunable fluorescence, conductivity, and sensing properties.

Gold single-crystal platelets with high aspect ratio are combined with amyloid fibrils to design a new class of hybrid nanocomposites. The films gather physical properties from both constituents, for example, plasmon resonance, fluorescence, and water-dependent conductivities ranging from insulating to metallic levels, yet mirroring gold within a broad range of composition, and can serve multiple purposes such as sensors, diagnostic, printed electronics, micromechanical, and biological devices.