Erratum: Enhancement of thermoelectric properties of carbon nanotube composites by inserting biomolecules at nanotube junctions (Appl. Phys. Express (2014) 7 (065102) DOI: 10.7567/APEX.7.065102)

Abstract

During the editing process of the original manuscript by the authors, one important reference was unintentionally omitted. The paper to be referred describes the details of the synthesis method of the genetically modified cage-shaped protein, Dps with the NHBP-1 aptamer peptides, which is necessary for other researchers to replicate the experiments reported in this work. The reference list must be therefore corrected to add the paper as Ref. 30 and the first paragraph of 065102-2 should be corrected as follows (amendments are underlined). To realize this concept with high probability of the series connection of CNT/biomolecule/CNT junctions, we used a caged-shaped protein called Listeria innocua Dps (DNA-binding protein from starved cells).12,13) Dps is 9.5 nm in outer diameter and 4.5 nm in inner diameter. Dps can bio-mineralize the iron oxide core in the cavity14) and several types of nanoparticle core were also artificially synthesized in the cavity.15-17) To provide an ability to adsorb on CNTs, we genetically added the subunit with a peptide aptamer with an affinity to carbonaceous materials (NHBP-118)) to the subunit of Dps30). 12 mutant Dps subunits self-assemble into a cage-shaped protein shell with 12 aptamer peptides on the outer surface; this is herein referred to as C-Dps. Figure 1(b) shows a schematic drawing of the C-Dps molecule with a semiconductor core inside the cavity. The semiconductor core is completely isolated by the 2.5-nm-thick protein shell. The thickness of the soft shell is presumed to decrease at the CNT/C-Dps junction point owing to a large attractive force between them, which makes the tunneling of carriers easier. Via the NHBP-1s, the C-Dps attaches to a CNT and covers the whole surface of the CNT30). Therefore, in the CNT/C-Dps composites, CNTs are inevitably connected through the CNT/C-Dps/CNT junctions [Fig. 1(c)]. 30) M. Kobayashi, S. Kumagai, B. Zheng, Y. Uraoka, T. Douglas, and I. Yamashita, Chem. Commun. 47, 3475 (2011).