Dual Binding Mode of Metallacarborane Produces a Robust Shield on Proteins

An inorganic sandwich molecule, Na[Co(C2 B9 H11 )2 ], able to produce vesicles through self-assembly and known to produce strong dihydrogen-bond interactions with amine groups is capable of interacting with proteins. This dual non-bonding ability of Na[Co(C2 B9 H11 )2 ] is what makes this molecule unique: it can be firmly anchored to a protein surface and is capable of extending over it. To prove this, the widely available bovine serum albumin...