Peptide-induced formation of silica from tetraethylorthosilicate at near-neutral pH

Hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) by lysine and serine has been examined at near-neutral pH. Both the amino acids hydrolyze TEOS and give silica, with the rate of formation of silica increasing with the concentration of the amino acid. The rate of hydrolysis is greatly enhanced in oligomers, especially tetralysine. Among polylysine, polyserine, and polycysteine, polylysine is most effective in hydrolyzing TEOS to produce silica at neutral pH.