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Title: Supramolecular Interactions and Morphology of Self-Assembling Peptide Amphiphile Nanostructures

Journal Article · · Nano Letters
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [6]
  1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
  2. Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Evanston, IL (United States)
  4. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL (United States); Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), San Sebastian (Spain)
  5. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL (United States)
  6. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Evanston, IL (United States); Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL (United States)

The morphology of supramolecular peptide nanostructures is difficult to predict given their complex energy landscapes. We investigated peptide amphiphiles containing β-sheet forming domains that form twisted nanoribbons in water. We explained the morphology based on a balance between the energetically favorable packing of molecules in the center of the nanostructures, the unfavorable packing at the edges, and the deformations due to packing of twisted β-sheets. We find that morphological polydispersity of PA nanostructures is determined by peptide sequences, and the twisting of their internal β-sheets. We also observed a change in the supramolecular chirality of the nanostructures as the peptide sequence was modified, although only amino acids with l-configuration were used. Upon increasing charge repulsion between molecules, we observed a change in morphology to long cylinders and then rodlike fragments and spherical micelles. Understanding the self-assembly mechanisms of peptide amphiphiles into nanostructures should be useful to optimize their well-known functions.

Research Organization:
Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States). Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science; Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0000989
OSTI ID:
1846599
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1866094
Journal Information:
Nano Letters, Vol. 21, Issue 14; ISSN 1530-6984
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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