Supramolecular self-assembly of 14-helical nanorods with tunable linear and dendritic hierarchical morphologies. (22nd December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Seoudi, Rania S.; Del Borgo, Mark P.; Kulkarni, Ketav; Perlmutter, Patrick; Aguilar, Marie-Isabel; Mechler, Adam
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 39:Number 5(2015:May)
• Page Start: 3280
• Page End: 3287
• Publication Date: 2014-12-22
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c4nj01926a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : Varying the solvent offers a simple way to control superstructure polymorphism of a tri-β 3 -peptide-based supramolecular system. Abstract : Bioinspired self-assembly offers a way to create novel functional materials from simple, easy-to-synthesize building blocks. Peptides, in particular, are frequently used in the design of self-assembled materials for their structural properties and the ability for supramolecular "lock and key" type recognition based on H-bonding networks and dispersion interactions. We have previously reported the head-to-tail self-assembly of N-terminal acetylated β-peptides into helical fibrils through a supramolecular three point H-bonding motif, and the superstructures formed from inter-fibril interactions. Here we show that the superstructure morphology of a self-assembled β 3 -peptide, Ac-β 3 [LIA], can be tuned to present a range of morphologies by the appropriate solvent medium. From the same monomer we succeeded in creating straight compact "nano-beams", self-spun threads and complex, dendritic, hierarchical structures. The variation in geometries is therefore achieved through careful switching and tuning of the relative strengths of the inter-fibril H-bonding, van der Waals and solvophobic interactions.