TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigations on the use of graphite electrodes using a hull-type growth cell for electrochemically assisted protein crystallization
AU - Espinoza-Montero, Patricio J.
AU - Moreno-Narváez, María Esther
AU - Frontana-Uribe, Bernardo A.
AU - Stojanoff, Vivian
AU - Moreno, Abel
PY - 2013/2/6
Y1 - 2013/2/6
N2 - This paper describes the use of an electrochemical Hull-type cell adapted for protein crystallization evaluating three inclination angles (45, 60, and 90). For optimization experiments, classical platinum wire electrodes were used, and once the best geometry was known, they were replaced with 0.5 mm diameter low-cost graphite automatic pencil leads. Using Pt and graphite, the cell with electrodes fitted at 90 showed the most favorable geometry for promoting the growth of lysozyme crystals with enough size for protein crystallography (between 200 and 250 μm in solution, and between 500 and 650 μm in gel). The crystalline quality (mosaicity and I/σ(I) ratio) of crystals obtained at different current values was studied using these graphite electrodes and was compared with those protein crystals grown using platinum wire electrodes in solution as well as in gel experiments. These studies showed that it is possible to efficiently substitute the platinum electrodes by the low-cost graphite electrodes. This cell could be a first approach to a disposable cell for a large-scale use of an electrochemically assisted crystal growth method.
AB - This paper describes the use of an electrochemical Hull-type cell adapted for protein crystallization evaluating three inclination angles (45, 60, and 90). For optimization experiments, classical platinum wire electrodes were used, and once the best geometry was known, they were replaced with 0.5 mm diameter low-cost graphite automatic pencil leads. Using Pt and graphite, the cell with electrodes fitted at 90 showed the most favorable geometry for promoting the growth of lysozyme crystals with enough size for protein crystallography (between 200 and 250 μm in solution, and between 500 and 650 μm in gel). The crystalline quality (mosaicity and I/σ(I) ratio) of crystals obtained at different current values was studied using these graphite electrodes and was compared with those protein crystals grown using platinum wire electrodes in solution as well as in gel experiments. These studies showed that it is possible to efficiently substitute the platinum electrodes by the low-cost graphite electrodes. This cell could be a first approach to a disposable cell for a large-scale use of an electrochemically assisted crystal growth method.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873351056&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/cg301250c
DO - 10.1021/cg301250c
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84873351056
SN - 1528-7483
VL - 13
SP - 590
EP - 598
JO - Crystal Growth and Design
JF - Crystal Growth and Design
IS - 2
ER -