Seamless Metallic Coating and Surface Adhesion of Self-Assembled Bioinspired Nanostructures Based on Di-(3,4-dihydroxy‑l‑phenylalanine) Peptide Motif

The noncoded aromatic 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenyl­alanine (DOPA) amino acid has a pivotal role in the remarkable adhesive properties displayed by marine mussels. These properties have inspired the design of adhesive chemical entities through various synthetic approaches. DOPA-containing bioinspired polymers have a broad functional appeal beyond adhesion due to the diverse chemical interactions presented by the catechol moieties. Here, we harnessed the molecular self-assembly abilities of very short peptide motifs to develop analogous DOPA-containing supra­molecular polymers. The DOPA-containing DOPA–DOPA and Fmoc–DOPA–DOPA building blocks were designed by substituting the phenyl­alanines in the well-studied diphenyl­alanine self-assembling motif and its 9-fluorenyl­methoxy­carbonyl (Fmoc)-protected derivative. These peptides self-organized into fibrillar nanoassemblies, displaying high density of catechol functional groups. Furthermore, the Fmoc–DOPA–DOPA peptide was found to act as a low molecular weight hydro­gelator, forming self-supporting hydrogel which was rheologically characterized. We studied these assemblies using electron microscopy and explored their applicative potential by examining their ability to spontaneously reduce metal cations into elementary metal. By applying ionic silver to the hydrogel, we observed efficient reduction into silver nanoparticles and the remarkable seamless metallic coating of the assemblies. Similar redox abilities were observed with the DOPA–DOPA assemblies. In an effort to impart adhesiveness to the obtained assemblies, we incorporated lysine (Lys) into the Fmoc–DOPA–DOPA building block. The assemblies of Fmoc–DOPA–DOPA–Lys were capable of gluing together glass surfaces, and their adhesion properties were investigated using atomic force microscopy. Taken together, a class of DOPA-containing self-assembling peptides was designed. These nano­assemblies display unique properties and can serve as multi­functional platforms for various bio­technological applications

Opal-like Multicolor Appearance of Self-Assembled Photonic Array

Molecular self-assembly of short peptide building blocks leads to the formation of various material architectures that may possess unique physical properties. Recent studies had confirmed the key role of biaromaticity in peptide self-assembly, with the diphenylalanine (FF) structural family as an archetypal model. Another significant direction in the molecular engineering of peptide building blocks is the use of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) modification, which promotes the assembly process and may result in nanostructures with distinctive features and macroscopic hydrogel with supramolecular features and nanoscale order. Here, we explored the self-assembly of the protected, noncoded fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-β,β-diphenyl-Ala-OH (Fmoc-Dip) amino acid. This process results in the formation of elongated needle-like crystals with notable aromatic continuity. By altering the assembly conditions, arrays of spherical particles were formed that exhibit strong light scattering. These arrays display vivid coloration, strongly resembling the appearance of opal gemstones. However, unlike the Rayleigh scattering effect produced by the arrangement of opal, the described optical phenomenon is attributed to Mie scattering. Moreover, by controlling the solution evaporation rate, i.e., the assembly kinetics, we were able to manipulate the resulting coloration. This work demonstrates a bottom-up approach, utilizing self-assembly of a protected amino acid minimal building block, to create arrays of organic, light-scattering colorful surfaces

Opal-like Multicolor Appearance of Self-Assembled Photonic Array

Molecular self-assembly of short peptide building blocks leads to the formation of various material architectures that may possess unique physical properties. Recent studies had confirmed the key role of biaromaticity in peptide self-assembly, with the diphenylalanine (FF) structural family as an archetypal model. Another significant direction in the molecular engineering of peptide building blocks is the use of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) modification, which promotes the assembly process and may result in nanostructures with distinctive features and macroscopic hydrogel with supramolecular features and nanoscale order. Here, we explored the self-assembly of the protected, noncoded fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-β,β-diphenyl-Ala-OH (Fmoc-Dip) amino acid. This process results in the formation of elongated needle-like crystals with notable aromatic continuity. By altering the assembly conditions, arrays of spherical particles were formed that exhibit strong light scattering. These arrays display vivid coloration, strongly resembling the appearance of opal gemstones. However, unlike the Rayleigh scattering effect produced by the arrangement of opal, the described optical phenomenon is attributed to Mie scattering. Moreover, by controlling the solution evaporation rate, i.e., the assembly kinetics, we were able to manipulate the resulting coloration. This work demonstrates a bottom-up approach, utilizing self-assembly of a protected amino acid minimal building block, to create arrays of organic, light-scattering colorful surfaces

Opal-like Multicolor Appearance of Self-Assembled Photonic Array

Molecular self-assembly of short peptide building blocks leads to the formation of various material architectures that may possess unique physical properties. Recent studies had confirmed the key role of biaromaticity in peptide self-assembly, with the diphenylalanine (FF) structural family as an archetypal model. Another significant direction in the molecular engineering of peptide building blocks is the use of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) modification, which promotes the assembly process and may result in nanostructures with distinctive features and macroscopic hydrogel with supramolecular features and nanoscale order. Here, we explored the self-assembly of the protected, noncoded fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-β,β-diphenyl-Ala-OH (Fmoc-Dip) amino acid. This process results in the formation of elongated needle-like crystals with notable aromatic continuity. By altering the assembly conditions, arrays of spherical particles were formed that exhibit strong light scattering. These arrays display vivid coloration, strongly resembling the appearance of opal gemstones. However, unlike the Rayleigh scattering effect produced by the arrangement of opal, the described optical phenomenon is attributed to Mie scattering. Moreover, by controlling the solution evaporation rate, i.e., the assembly kinetics, we were able to manipulate the resulting coloration. This work demonstrates a bottom-up approach, utilizing self-assembly of a protected amino acid minimal building block, to create arrays of organic, light-scattering colorful surfaces

Opal-like Multicolor Appearance of Self-Assembled Photonic Array

Molecular self-assembly of short peptide building blocks leads to the formation of various material architectures that may possess unique physical properties. Recent studies had confirmed the key role of biaromaticity in peptide self-assembly, with the diphenylalanine (FF) structural family as an archetypal model. Another significant direction in the molecular engineering of peptide building blocks is the use of fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) modification, which promotes the assembly process and may result in nanostructures with distinctive features and macroscopic hydrogel with supramolecular features and nanoscale order. Here, we explored the self-assembly of the protected, noncoded fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-β,β-diphenyl-Ala-OH (Fmoc-Dip) amino acid. This process results in the formation of elongated needle-like crystals with notable aromatic continuity. By altering the assembly conditions, arrays of spherical particles were formed that exhibit strong light scattering. These arrays display vivid coloration, strongly resembling the appearance of opal gemstones. However, unlike the Rayleigh scattering effect produced by the arrangement of opal, the described optical phenomenon is attributed to Mie scattering. Moreover, by controlling the solution evaporation rate, i.e., the assembly kinetics, we were able to manipulate the resulting coloration. This work demonstrates a bottom-up approach, utilizing self-assembly of a protected amino acid minimal building block, to create arrays of organic, light-scattering colorful surfaces