Vibrational Modes of Nano-Template Viruses

Viruses have recently attracted attention as biological templates for assembly of nanostructures and nanoelectronic circuits. They can be coated with metals, silica or semiconductor materials and form end-to-end nanorod assemblies. Such viruses as tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and M13 bacteriophage have appropriate cylindrical shape and particularly suitable dimensions: M13 is 860 nm long and 6.5 nm in diameter, while TMV is 300 nm long, 18 nm in diameter and with a 4 nm in diameter axial channel. The knowledge of vibrational, i.e. quasi-acoustic phonon, modes of these viruses is important for material and structural characterization of the virus-based nano-templates and for in-situ control of the nanostructure self-assembly. In this paper we report on calculation of the dispersion relations for the lowest vibrational frequencies of TMV and M13 bacteriophage immersed in air and water. We analyze the damping of vibrations in water and discuss application of micro-Raman spectroscopy for control of the virus-based self-assembly processes.