Self-assembly and hydrogel formation ability of Fmoc-dipeptides comprising α-methyl-L-phenylalanine

• Published in: Polymer journal 2020-08, Vol.52 (8), p.923-930
• Main Authors: Arakawa, Hanae, Takeda, Kumi, Higashi, Sayuri L., Shibata, Aya, Kitamura, Yoshiaki, Ikeda, Masato
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/54; 639/638/541; Aqueous solutions; Biomaterials; Bioorganic Chemistry; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Hydrogels; Morphology; Nanostructure; Original Article; Phenylalanine; Polymer Sciences; Self-assembly; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0032-3896; 1349-0540
• DOI: 10.1038/s41428-019-0301-5

Various biofunctional hydrogel materials can be fabricated in aqueous media through the self-assembly of peptide derivatives, forming supramolecular nanostructures and their three-dimensional networks. In this study, we describe the self-assembly of new Fmoc-dipeptides comprising α-methyl-L-phenylalanine. We found that the position and number of methyl groups introduced onto the α carbons of the Fmoc-dipeptides by α-methyl-L-phenylalanine have a marked influence on the morphology of the supramolecular nanostructure as well as the hydrogel (network) formation ability. This article describes the self-assembly of Fmoc-dipeptides comprising α-methyl-L-phenylalanine. The position and number of methyl groups introduced onto the α carbons of the Fmoc-dipeptides as α-methyl-L-phenylalanine have a marked influence on the morphology of supramolecular nanostructures and the hydrogel formation ability.