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Tuning Peptide-Based Hydrogels: Co-Assembly with Composites Driving the Highway to Technological Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010186. [PMID: 36613630 PMCID: PMC9820439 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-assembled peptide-based gels provide several advantages for technological applications. Recently, the co-assembly of gelators has been a strategy to modulate and tune gel properties and even implement stimuli-responsiveness. However, it still comprises limitations regarding the required library of compounds and outcoming properties. Hence, efforts have been made to combine peptide-based gels and (in)organic composites (e.g., magnetic nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, liposomes, graphene, silica, clay, titanium dioxide, cadmium sulfide) to endow stimuli-responsive materials and achieve suitable properties in several fields ranging from optoelectronics to biomedical. Herein, we discuss the recent developments with composite peptide-based gels including the fabrication, tunability of gels' properties, and challenges on (bio)technological applications.
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Wang X, Liu X, Ma Z, Mu C, Li W. Photochromic and photothermal hydrogels derived from natural amino acids and heteropoly acids. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:10140-10148. [PMID: 34730172 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01272j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A new class of supramolecular hydrogels have been designed and synthesized via the co-assembly of basic amino acids (AAs) and heteropoly acids (HPAs) under acidic conditions. The formation of gel-like samples is identified using an inverted tube method, rheology, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that the structural integrity of the HPAs is maintained during the gelation process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrate that the anionic HPAs interact with both the protonated α-NH2 and the protonated side groups of the basic amino acids, initiating the preferential growth of one-dimensional nanofibers. These nanofibers bundle and entangle with each other to form extended three-dimensional network structures. The resulting AA/HPA supramolecular hydrogels show clear stereoselectivity of the basic amino acids. With the decreasing enantiomeric excess of the basic amino acids, the gelation propensity of the AA/HPA complexes is found to be depressed. The co-assembled hydrogels show the UV-responsive photochromic behaviour because of the presence of HPAs. The corresponding XPS data confirm that the photochromism of the hydrogels is attributed to the intervalence charge-transfer transition resulting from the reduction of HPAs. Interestingly, the reduced HPAs within the hydrogel matrix can absorb the near-infrared (NIR) light and exhibit photo-thermal conversion properties, which elevates the bulk temperature of the AA/HPA hydrogels and induces the gel-to-sol transition. This study unveils that HPAs have unique capacity to promote the gelation of basic amino acids for the construction of supramolecular soft materials with functional features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Avenue 2699, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Xiaohuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Avenue 2699, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Zhiyuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Avenue 2699, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Chuanling Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Avenue 2699, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Wen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Qianjin Avenue 2699, Changchun 130012, China.
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Santi S, Bisello A, Cardena R, Tomelleri S, Schiesari R, Biondi B, Crisma M, Formaggio F. Flat, C α,β -Didehydroalanine Foldamers with Ferrocene Pendants: Assessing the Role of α-Peptide Dipolar Moments. Chempluschem 2021; 86:723-730. [PMID: 33825347 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The foldamer field is continuously expanding as it allows to produce molecules endowed with 3D-structures and functions never observed in nature. We synthesized flat foldamers based on the natural, but non-coded, Cα,β -didehydroalanine α-amino acid, and covalently linked to them two ferrocene (Fc) moieties, as redox probes. These conjugates retain the flat and extended conformation of the 2.05 -helix, both in solution and in the crystal state (X-ray diffraction). Cyclic voltammetry measurements agree with the adoption of the 2.05 -helix, characterized by a negligible dipole moment. Thus, elongated α-peptide stretches of this type are insulators rather than charge conductors, the latter being constituted by peptide α-helices. Also, our homo-tetrapeptide has a N-to-C length of about 18.2 Å, almost double than that (9.7 Å) of an α-helical α-tetrapeptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saverio Santi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Annalisa Bisello
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Cardena
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Tomelleri
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Renato Schiesari
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Barbara Biondi
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Crisma
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Fernando Formaggio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Padova Unit, CNR, via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
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