ABSTRACT
With the rapid advance of nanotechnology, the demand for precision nanoscale assembly techniques has also expanded. We have much to learn about nanoscale assembly from biology. This chapter provides an overview of viral-templated material and device assembly that uses the cowpea mosaic virus, the tobacco mosaic virus, or the M13 bacteriophage as a scaffold. Applications in which viral assembly is advantageous to device performance are emphasized. Specifically, reports of devices that benefit from the long range order of a viral protein, the geometry of a virus, or the location of modifiable binding sites on a viral surface are discussed. Among the devices discussed are conductive nanowires, nanostructured photovoltaics, battery electrodes, humidity sensors, non-volatile memories, and photocatalytic water oxidation systems.
