Black Phosphorus Nanosheets Passivation Using a Tripeptide

Abstract

In the past several years, 2D black phosphorus (BP) has captured the research community's interest because of its unique electronic, photonic, and mechanical properties. However, the intrinsic instability of BP limits its preservation and practical application. Despite kinds of BP passivation strategies being well-documented, the use of metal ligand coordination or polymer modification may have potential long-term detrimental effects on human bodies. Here, a tailored tripeptide Fmoc-Lys-Lys-Phe (Fmoc-KKF) is synthesized for surface modification of BP nanosheets. Compared with bare BP with rapid degradation, the BP@FKK complex exhibits excellent stability, thereby significantly increasing the life span. Significantly, the BP@FKK shows favorable cell compatibility and enhanced cellular uptake compared to the bare BP.

Keywords: biocompatibility; black phosphorus; peptide; photothermal; stability.