2 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
The design and fabrication of supramolecular semiconductor nanowires formed by benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT)-conjugated peptides
π-Conjugated small molecules based on a [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (BTBT) unit are of great research interest in the development of solution-processable semiconducting materials owing to their excellent charge-transport characteristics. However, the BTBT π-core has yet to be demonstrated in the form of electro-active one-dimensional (1D) nanowires that are self-assembled in aqueous media for potential use in bioelectronics and tissue engineering. Here we report the design, synthesis, and self-assembly of benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT)–peptide conjugates, the BTBT–peptide (BTBT-C3–COHN-Ahx-VVAGKK-Am) and the C8-BTBT–peptide (C8-BTBT-C3–COHN-Ahx-VVAGKK-Am), as β-sheet forming amphiphilic molecules, which self-assemble into highly uniform nanofibers in water with diameters of 11–13(±1) nm and micron-size lengths. Spectroscopic characterization studies demonstrate the J-type π–π interactions among the BTBT molecules within the hydrophobic core of the self-assembled nanofibers yielding an electrical conductivity as high as 6.0 × 10−6 S cm−1. The BTBT π-core is demonstrated, for the first time, in the formation of self-assembled peptide 1D nanostructures in aqueous media for potential use in tissue engineering, bioelectronics and (opto)electronics. The conductivity achieved here is one of the highest reported to date in a non-doped state
Biocompatible Electroactive Tetra(aniline)-Conjugated Peptide Nanofibers for Neural Differentiation
Peripheral
nerve injuries cause devastating problems for the quality of patients’
lives, and regeneration following damage to the peripheral nervous
system is limited depending on the degree of the damage. Use of nanobiomaterials
can provide therapeutic approaches for the treatment of peripheral
nerve injuries. Electroactive biomaterials, in particular, can provide
a promising cure for the regeneration of nerve defects. Here, a supramolecular
electroactive nanosystem with tetraÂ(aniline) (TA)-containing peptide
nanofibers was developed and utilized for nerve regeneration. Self-assembled
TA-conjugated peptide nanofibers demonstrated electroactive behavior.
The electroactive self-assembled peptide nanofibers formed a well-defined
three-dimensional nanofiber network mimicking the extracellular matrix
of the neuronal cells. Neurite outgrowth was improved on the electroactive
TA nanofiber gels. The neural differentiation of PC-12 cells was more
advanced on electroactive peptide nanofiber gels, and these biomaterials
are promising for further use in therapeutic neural regeneration applications