Directed Self-Assembly of Dipeptides to Form Ultrathin Hydrogel Membranes

The dipeptide amphiphile Fmoc-Leu-Gly-OH has been induced to self-assemble into thin surface-supported hydrogel gel films and gap-spanning hydrogel membranes. The thickness can be closely controlled, giving films/membranes from tens of nanometers to millimeters thick. SEM and TEM have confirmed that...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Chemical Society 2010-04, Vol.132 (14), p.5130-5136
Main Authors: Johnson, Eleanor K, Adams, Dave J, Cameron, Petra J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Dipeptides - chemical synthesis
Dipeptides - chemistry
Hydrogels - chemical synthesis
Hydrogels - chemistry
Membranes, Artificial
Particle Size
Surface Properties
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Summary:The dipeptide amphiphile Fmoc-Leu-Gly-OH has been induced to self-assemble into thin surface-supported hydrogel gel films and gap-spanning hydrogel membranes. The thickness can be closely controlled, giving films/membranes from tens of nanometers to millimeters thick. SEM and TEM have confirmed that the dipeptides self-assemble to form fibers, with the membranes resembling a dense “mat” of entangled fibers. The films and membranes were stable once formed. The films could be reversibly dried and collapsed, then reswollen to regain the gel structure.
ISSN:0002-7863
1520-5126
DOI:10.1021/ja909579p