Supramolecular Fibers in Gels Can Be at Thermodynamic Equilibrium: A Simple Packing Model Reveals Preferential Fibril Formation versus Crystallization

Self-assembly of heterochiral, aliphatic dipeptides with Leu

This work describes the self-assembly behavior of heterochiral, aliphatic dipeptides, l-Leu-d-Xaa (Xaa = Ala, Val, Ile, Leu), in green solvents such as acetonitrile (MeCN) and buffered water at neutral pH. Interestingly, water plays a structuring role because at 1% v/v, it enables dipeptide self-assembly in MeCN to yield organogels, which then undergo transition towards crystals. Other organic solvents and oils were tested for gelation, and metastable gels were formed in tetrahydrofuran, although at high peptide concentration (80 mM). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the dipeptides' supramolecular packing modes in amphipathic layers, as opposed to water channels reported for the homochiral Leu-Leu, or hydrophobic columns reported for homochiral Leu-Val and Leu-Ile.

Heat-Set Supramolecular Hydrogelation by Regulating the Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance for a Tunable Circularly Polarized Luminescent Switch

Heat-set supramolecular gels exhibited totally opposite phase behaviors of dissolution upon cooling and gelation on heating. They are commonly discovered by chance and their rational design remains a great challenge. Herein, a rational design strategy is proposed to realize heat-set supramolecular hydrogelation through regulation of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of the system. A newly synthesized amphiphile hydrogelator with pyrene embedded in its lipophilic terminal can self-assemble into a hydrogel through a heating and cooling cycle. However, the host-guest complex of the gelator and hydrophilic γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CyD) results in a sol at room temperature. Thus, heat-set hydrogelation is realized from the sol state in a controllable manner. Heat-set gelation mechanism is revealed by exploring critical heat-set supramolecular gelation and the related findings provide a general strategy for developing new functional molecular gels with tunable hydrophilic-lipophilic balance.

Does Supramolecular Gelation Require an External Trigger?

The supramolecular gelation of small molecules is typically preceded by an external stimulus to trigger the self-assembly. The need for this trigger stems from the metastable nature of most supramolecular gels and can limit their applicability. Herein, we present a small urea-based molecule that spontaneously forms a stable hydrogel by simple mixing without the addition of an external trigger. Single particle tracking experiments and observations made from scanning electron microscopy indicated that triggerless gelation occurred in a similar fashion as the archetypical heat-triggered gelation. These results could stimulate the search for other supramolecular hydrogels that can be obtained by simple mixing. Furthermore, the mechanism of the heat-triggered supramolecular gelation was elucidated by a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and quantitative NMR experiments. Surprisingly, hydrogelation seemingly occurs via a stepwise self-assembly in which spherical nanoparticles mature into an entangled fibrillary network.

Layered supramolecular hydrogels from thioglycosides

Low molecular weight hydrogels are made of small molecules that aggregate via noncovalent interactions. Here, comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of hydrogels made from thioglycolipids of the disaccharides lactose and cellobiose with simple alkyl chains is reported. While thiolactoside hydrogels are robust, thiocellobioside gels are metastable, precipitating over time into fibrous crystals that can be entangled to create pseudo-hydrogels. Rheology confirms the viscoelastic solid nature of these hydrogels with storage moduli ranging from 10-600 kPa. Additionally, thiolactoside hydrogels are thixotropic which is a desirable property for many potential applications. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of xerogels shows layers of stacked sheets that are entangled into networks. These structures are unique compared to the fibers or ribbons typically reported for hydrogels. Differential scanning calorimetry provides gel-to-liquid phase transition temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 °C. Prodan fluorescence spectroscopy allows assignment of phase transitions in the gels and other lyotropic phases of high concentration samples. Phase diagrams are estimated for all hydrogels at 1-10 wt% from 5 to ≥ 80 °C. These hydrogels represent a series of interesting materials with unique properties that make them attractive for numerous potential applications.

How the Choice of Force-Field Affects the Stability and Self-Assembly Process of Supramolecular CTA Fibers

In recent years, computational methods have become an essential element of studies focusing on the self-assembly process. Although they provide unique insights, they face challenges, from which two are the most often mentioned in the literature: the temporal and spatial scale of the self-assembly. A less often mentioned issue, but not less important, is the choice of the force-field. The repetitive nature of the supramolecular structure results in many similar interactions. Consequently, even a small deviation in these interactions can lead to significant energy differences in the whole structure. However, studies comparing different force-fields for self-assembling systems are scarce. In this article, we compare molecular dynamics simulations for trifold hydrogen-bonded fibers performed with different force-fields, namely GROMOS, CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF), CHARMM Drude, General Amber Force-Field (GAFF), Martini, and polarized Martini. Briefly, we tested the force-fields by simulating: (i) spontaneous self-assembly (none form a fiber within 500 ns), (ii) stability of the fiber (observed for CHARMM Drude, GAFF, MartiniP), (iii) dimerization (observed for GROMOS, GAFF, and MartiniP), and (iv) oligomerization (observed for CHARMM Drude and MartiniP). This system shows that knowledge of the force-field behavior regarding interactions in oligomer and larger self-assembled structures is crucial for designing efficient simulation protocols for self-assembling systems.

Phthalocyanine-Triggered Helical Dipeptide Nanotubes with Intense Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Nanotubes with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) are attracting much attention due to many potential applications, such as chiroptical materials, displays, and sensing. However, it remains a challenge to change the assemblies of ordinarily molecular building blocks into CPL supramolecular nanotubes. Herein, the regulation of quite common dipeptide (Fmoc-FF) assemblies into unprecedented helical nanotubes exhibiting intense CPL is reported by simply doping a few phthalocyanine (octakis(carboxyl)phthalocyaninato zinc complex (Pc)) molecules. Interestingly, altering the Fmoc-FF/Pc molar ratios over a wide range cannot change the nanotubes structures according to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements. Although molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the noncovalent interactions between Fmoc-FF and Pc are quite weak, few Pc molecules can still change the secondary structures of a large number of Fmoc-FF assemblies, which hierarchically form helical supramolecular nanotubes with long-range ordered molecular packing, leading to intense CPL signals with large luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum  = 0.04). Consequently, the chiral reorganization of Fmoc-FF assemblies is dependent on the coassembly between Pc molecule and Fmoc-FF supramolecular architectures. These results open the possibility for the fine-tuning of helix and supramolecular nanotubes with CPL properties by using a small number of cofactors.

Tuning Rheological Behaviors of Supramolecular Aqueous Gels via Charge Transfer Interactions

Rheological properties are critical for determining real applications of supramolecular gels in various fields. Correspondingly, the modulation of gel rheology will be very important for meeting real requirements. In this aspect, a few strategies were applied to tune the rheological behaviors of supramolecular gels, but some specific interactions like charge transfer (CT) interactions were less explored at the molecular level. Herein, we report a pyrene-containing derivative of diphenylalanine as a donor gelator and naphthalenediimide or 3,5-dinitrobenzene as matching acceptor molecules. It was found that the viscoelastic properties and strength of the original gel could be tuned through addition of different acceptor molecules to the original gel with changing the ratios of the selected acceptor molecules. As a result, storage modulus was continuously adjusted over a wide range from 190,000 to 50,000 Pa by CT interactions. Furthermore, the mechanism of the CT-induced change in rheological properties was understood and clarified through relevant techniques (e.g., UV-Vis, fluorescence, and FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM). The findings in this work would provide a novel strategy to modulate the rheological properties of supramolecular gels for adaption to broader fields of real applications.

Peptide-Based Supramolecular Systems Chemistry

Peptide-based supramolecular systems chemistry seeks to mimic the ability of life forms to use conserved sets of building blocks and chemical reactions to achieve a bewildering array of functions. Building on the design principles for short peptide-based nanomaterials with properties, such as self-assembly, recognition, catalysis, and actuation, are increasingly available. Peptide-based supramolecular systems chemistry is starting to address the far greater challenge of systems-level design to access complex functions that emerge when multiple reactions and interactions are coordinated and integrated. We discuss key features relevant to systems-level design, including regulating supramolecular order and disorder, development of active and adaptive systems by considering kinetic and thermodynamic design aspects and combinatorial dynamic covalent and noncovalent interactions. Finally, we discuss how structural and dynamic design concepts, including preorganization and induced fit, are critical to the ability to develop adaptive materials with adaptive and tunable photonic, electronic, and catalytic properties. Finally, we highlight examples where multiple features are combined, resulting in chemical systems and materials that display adaptive properties that cannot be achieved without this level of integration.

Gelation of a Pentapeptide in Alcohols

Properties of solvents such as polarity and H-bond-forming ability are critical for the formation of an organogel and have a significant impact on the gel behavior, as solvents are the majority of organogel systems. However, so far, there is still a lack of systematic studies regarding the effects of molecular structures of solvents on the characteristics of organogels. Motivated by revealing such a relationship, in this paper, we studied the morphologies of assemblies, gelation behaviors, and secondary structures of a pentapeptide termed EAF-5 in a wide variety of alcohols. The side chains and lengths of carbon chains of the solvent molecules were found to play a critical role in the self-assembly and gelation of EAF-5. EAF-5 was capable of self-assembling into fibers and entangling into a network in alcohols including ethanol, propanol, butanol, n-pentanol, and n-hexanol, which further immobilized the corresponding alcohols to form gels. In these organogels, increasing β-sheet secondary structures of the peptides were formed by introducing side chains and extending the length of primary alcohol molecules. We hypothesized that alcohol molecules with extended lengths and side chains reduced the gelator-solvent interactions and promoted the gelator-gelator interactions, resulting in the self-assembly of EAF-5 into fibril structures and development of gels. These findings provide a new sight into the interactions between gelators and solvents and are helpful for designing peptide-based organogelators.

Self-Assembly of Ferrocenyl Phenylalanine into Nanohelical Arrays via Kinetic Control

The spontaneous alignment of self-assembled chiral nanostructures at macroscopic scales is appealing because of their unique structural features and physicochemical properties. Here we present the construction of highly ordered bioorganometallic nanohelical arrays on the basis of the hierarchical chiral self-assembly of the simple ferrocenyl l-phenylalanine (Fc-l-F). The formation of nanohelical arrays is under kinetic control, which can be controlled by changing the growth time and the vapor temperature. The chiral nanoarrays can generate circularly polarized luminescence by the incorporation of fluorescent dyes. Moreover, due to the redox activity of the Fc moiety, the nanohelical arrays show enhanced electrical capacity compared with previously reported peptide nanomaterials. The results shed light on the highly ordered chiral self-assembled nanomaterials, which have potential applications in fields of optics, sensing, and energy storage.

Spin Filtering in Supramolecular Polymers Assembled from Achiral Monomers Mediated by Chiral Solvents

In past studies, spin selective transport was observed in polymers and supramolecular structures that are based on homochiral building blocks possessing stereocenters. Here we address the question to what extent chiral building blocks are required for observing the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. We demonstrate the CISS effect in supramolecular polymers exclusively containing achiral monomers, where the supramolecular chirality was induced by chiral solvents that were removed from the fibers before measuring. Spin-selective transport was observed for electrons transmitted perpendicular to the fibers’ long axis. The spin polarization correlates with the intensity of the CD spectra of the polymers, indicating that the effect is nonlocal. It is found that the spin polarization increases with the samples’ thickness and the thickness dependence is the result of at least two mechanisms: the first is the CISS effect, and the second reduces the spin polarization due to scattering. Temperature dependence studies provide the first support for theoretical work that suggested that phonons may contribute to the spin polarization.

Rapid Self-Healing and Thixotropic Organogelation of Amphiphilic Oleanolic Acid-Spermine Conjugates

Natural and abundant plant triterpenoids are attractive starting materials for the synthesis of conformationally rigid and chiral building blocks for functional soft materials. Here, we report the rational design of three oleanolic acid-triazole-spermine conjugates, containing either one or two spermine units in the target molecules, using the Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. The resulting amphiphile-like molecules 2 and 3, bearing just one spermine unit in the respective molecules, self-assemble into highly entangled fibrous networks leading to gelation at a concentration as low as 0.5% in alcoholic solvents. Using step-strain rheological measurements, we show rapid self-recovery (up to 96% of the initial storage modulus) and sol ⇔ gel transition under several cycles. Interestingly, rheological flow curves reveal the thixotropic behavior of the gels. To the best of our knowledge, this kind of behavior was not shown in the literature before, neither for a triterpenoid nor for its derivatives. Conjugate 4, having a bolaamphiphile-like structure, was found to be a nongelator. Our results indicate that the position and number of spermine units alter the gelation properties, gel strength, and their self-assembly behavior. Preliminary cytotoxicity studies of the target compounds 2-4 in four human cancer cell lines suggest that the position and number of spermine units affect the biological activity. Our results also encourage exploring other triterpenoids and their derivatives as sustainable, renewable, and biologically active building blocks for multifunctional soft organic nanomaterials.

Heterochirality and Halogenation Control Phe-Phe Hierarchical Assembly

Diphenylalanine is an amyloidogenic building block that can form a versatile array of supramolecular materials. Its shortcomings, however, include the uncontrolled hierarchical assembly into microtubes of heterogeneous size distribution and well-known cytotoxicity. This study rationalized heterochirality as a successful strategy to address both of these pitfalls and it provided an unprotected heterochiral dipeptide that self-organized into a homogeneous and optically clear hydrogel with excellent ability to sustain fibroblast cell proliferation and viability. Substitution of one l-amino acid with its d-enantiomer preserved the ability of the dipeptide to self-organize into nanotubes, as shown by single-crystal XRD analysis, whereby the pattern of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions of the backbone was unaltered. The effect of heterochirality was manifested in subtle changes in the positioning of the aromatic side chains, which resulted in weaker intermolecular interactions between nanotubes. As a result, d-Phe-l-Phe self-organized into homogeneous nanofibrils with a diameter of 4 nm, corresponding to two layers of peptides around a water channel, and yielded a transparent hydrogel. In contrast with homochiral Phe-Phe stereoisomer, it formed stable hydrogels thermoreversibly. d-Phe-l-Phe displayed no amyloid toxicity in cell cultures with fibroblast cells proliferating in high numbers and viability on this biomaterial, marking it as a preferred substrate over tissue-culture plastic. Halogenation also enabled the tailoring of d-Phe-l-Phe self-organization. Fluorination allowed analogous supramolecular packing as confirmed by XRD, thus nanotube formation, and gave intermediate levels of bundling. In contrast, iodination was the most effective strategy to augment the stability of the resulting hydrogel, although at the expense of optical transparency and biocompatibility. Interestingly, iodine presence hindered the supramolecular packing into nanotubes, resulting instead into amphipathic layers of stacked peptides without the occurrence of halogen bonding. By unravelling fine details to control these materials at the meso- and macro-scale, this study significantly advanced our understanding of these systems.

Pathway-Dependent Preferential Selection and Amplification of Variable Self-Assembled Peptide Nanostructures and Their Biological Activities

We demonstrate the formation of diverse peptide nanostructures, which are "out of equilibrium" based on a single dipeptide gelator. These structures represent the differential energy states of the free energy landscape, which are accessed by differential energy inputs provided by variable self-assembly pathways, that is, heat-cool method or ultrasonication. A higher energy input by the heat-cool method created a thermodynamically favored long entangled nanofibrillar network, while twisted ribbonlike structures were prevalent by ultrasonication. Interestingly, the nanofibrillar network representing the global thermodynamic minima could be accessed by simply melting the kinetically trapped structures as indicated by the thermoreversibility studies. The impact on the material strength was remarkable; gels with an order of magnitude difference in mechanical properties could be fabricated by simply modulating the self-assembly pathways. Interestingly, the thermodynamically favored nanofibrous network promoted cellular adhesion and survival, while a significant number of cells fail to adhere on the kinetically trapped twisted ribbons. Thus, nonequilibrium nanostructures open up new directions to develop advanced functional materials with diverse functions.

Enzyme Instructed Self-assembly of Naphthalimide-dipeptide: Spontaneous Transformation from Nanosphere to Nanotubular Structures that Induces Hydrogelation

Understanding the structure-morphology relationships of self-assembled nanostructures is crucial for developing materials with the desired chemical and biological functions. Here, phosphate-based naphthalimide (NI) derivatives have been developed for the first time to study the enzyme-instructed self-assembly process. Self-assembly of simple amino acid derivative NI-Yp resulted in non-specific amorphous aggregates in the presence of alkaline phosphatase enzyme. On the other hand, NI-FYp dipeptide forms spherical nanoparticles under aqueous conditions which slowly transformed into partially unzipped nanotubular structures during the enzymatic catalytic process through multiple stages which subsequently resulted in hydrogelation. The self-assembly is driven by the formation of β-sheet type structures stabilized by offset aromatic stacking of NI core and hydrogen bonding interactions which is confirmed with PXRD, Congo-red staining and molecular mechanical calculations. We propose a mechanism for the self-assembly process based on TEM and spectroscopic data. The nanotubular structures of NI-FYp precursor exhibited higher cytotoxicity to human breast cancer cells and human cervical cancer cells when compared to the nanofiber structures of the similar Fmoc-derivative. Overall this study provides a new understanding of the supramolecular self-assembly of small-molecular-weight hydrogelators.

Multi-component peptide hydrogels - a systematic study incorporating biomolecules for the exploration of diverse, tuneable biomaterials

Peptide-based supramolecular gels can be designed to be functional "smart" materials that have applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and supramolecular chemistry. Although many multi-component gel systems have been designed and reported, many of these applications still rely solely on single-component gel systems which limits the functionalities of the materials. Multi-component self-assembly leads to the formation of highly ordered and complex architectures while offering the possibility to generate hydrogels with interesting properties including functional complexity and diverse morphologies. Being able to incorporate various classes of biomolecules can allow for tailoring the materials' functionalities to specific application needs. Here, a novel peptide amphiphile, myristyl-Phe-Phe (C14-FF), was synthesized and explored for hydrogel formation. The hydrogel possesses a nanofiber matrix morphology, composed of β-sheet aggregates, a record-low gelation concentration for this class of compounds, and a unique solvent-dependent helical switch. The C14-FF hydrogel was then explored with various classes of biomolecules (carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, building blocks of HA) to generate a multi-component library of gels that have potential to represent the complex natural extracellular matrix. Selected multi-component gels exhibit an excellent compatibility with mesenchymal stem cells showing high cell viability percentages, which holds great promise for applications in regenerative therapy.

Amyloid-like Nanofibrillation of Metal-Organic Complex Arrays Ruled by Their Precisely Designed Metal Sequences

Self-assembly of a series of dimetallic sequences constructed on a backbone with two successive tyrosine moieties (Fmoc-M¹ -M² -CO₂ H) revealed that the resultant morphology is clearly dependent on the metal sequence, where Re-containing sequences such as homometallic Fmoc-Re-Re-CO₂ H specifically afforded amyloid-like nanofibers. These findings further allowed to achieve the fibrillation of a longer metal sequence containing three different metals (Fmoc-Rh-Pt-Re-Re-CO₂ H). Cyclic voltammetry of the fibrillated Fmoc-Re-Re-CO₂ H demonstrated that the redox activity of the metal complexes in the sequence is preserved in the nanofibrous forms.

Topochemical synthesis of different polymorphs of polymers as a paradigm for tuning properties of polymers

Different packing is a mechanism through which nature can produce materials of different properties from the same basic units. There is great interest in constructing different forms of the same polymer by utilising different packing. Common solution-synthesized polymers are amorphous and their post-synthesis crystallization into different topologies is almost impossible. Here we show solid-state polymerization of different reactive polymorphs of a monomer pre-organized in different topologies. Trimorphs of a dipeptide monomer pack in a head-to-tail fashion, placing the azide and alkyne of adjacent monomers in proximity. On heating, these crystals undergo a topochemical azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction yielding triazole-linked polymer in three different crystalline states; one with antiparallel arrangement of polymer chains, another with parallelly oriented chains, and a third form containing a 1:1 blend of two different conformers aligned in parallel. This approach of exploiting different polymorphs of a monomer for topochemical polymerization to yield polymorphs of polymers is promising for future research.

A disulfide based low molecular weight gel for the selective sustained release of biomolecules

Constructing biocompatible soft materials via supramolecular approaches remains an important challenge for in vivo applications.

Enzyme Entrapment in Amphiphilic Myristyl-Phenylalanine Hydrogels

Supramolecular amino acid and peptide hydrogels are functional materials with a wide range of applications, however, their ability to serve as matrices for enzyme entrapment have been rarely explored. Two amino acid conjugates were synthesized and explored for hydrogel formation. These hydrogels were characterized in terms of strength and morphology, and their ability to entrap enzymes while keeping them active and reusable was explored. It was found that the hydrogels were able to successfully entrap two common and significant enzymes-horseradish peroxidase and -amylase-thus keeping them active and stable, along with inducing recycling capabilities, which has potential to further advance the industrial biotransformation field.

Using cavitation rheology to understand dipeptide-based low molecular weight gels

The study of dipeptide-based hydrogels has been the focus of significant effort recently due to their potential for use in a variety of biomedical and biotechnological applications. It is essential to study the mechanical properties in order to fully characterise and understand this type of soft materials. In terms of mechanical properties, the linear elastic modulus is normally measured using traditional shear rheometry. This technique requires millilitre sample volumes, which can be difficult when only small amounts of gel are available, and can present difficulties when loading the sample into the machine. Here, we describe the use of cavitation rheology, an easy and efficient technique, to characterise the linear elastic modulus of a range of hydrogels. Unlike traditional shear rheometry, this technique can be used on hydrogels in their native environment, and small sample volumes are required. We describe our set-up and show how it can be used to probe and understand different types of gels. Gels can be formed by different triggers from the same gelator and this leads to different microstructures. We show that the data from the cavitational rheometer correlates with the underlying microstructure in the gels, which allows a greater degree of understanding of the gels than can be obtained from the bulk measurements.

Metal-Ion Modulated Structural Transformation of Amyloid-Like Dipeptide Supramolecular Self-Assembly

The misfolding of proteins and peptides potentially leads to a conformation transition from an α-helix or random coil to β-sheet-rich fibril structures, which are associated with various amyloid degenerative disorders. Inhibition of the β-sheet aggregate formation and control of the structural transition could therefore attenuate the development of amyloid-associated diseases. However, the structural transitions of proteins and peptides are extraordinarily complex processes that are still not fully understood and thus challenging to manipulate. To simplify this complexity, herein, the effect of metal ions on the inhibition of amyloid-like β-sheet dipeptide self-assembly is investigated. By changing the type and ratio of the metal ion/dipeptide mixture, structural transformation is achieved from a β-sheet to a superhelix or random coil, as confirmed by experimental results and computational studies. Furthermore, the obtained supramolecular metallogel exhibits excellent in vitro DNA binding and diffusion capability due to the positive charge of the metal/dipeptide complex. This work may facilitate the understanding of the role of metal ions in inhibiting amyloid formation and broaden the future applications of supramolecular metallogels in three-dimensional (3D) DNA biochip, cell culture, and drug delivery.

Systematic exploration of the pH dependence of a peptide hydrogel

Stimuli-responsive peptide gels are a growing class of functional biomaterials that are involved in many applications in research. Here, we present a novel di-peptide hydrogel from the compound Boc–Phe–Trp–OH in various buffer and pH conditions. We examine the effects of different stimuli, including temperature and pH, on the mechanical strength of the gels through frequency rheology studies. We found that this hydrogelator is highly pH dependent, only forming a gel in a narrow range of pH 6–7. This hydrogelator hold promise for the development of new stimuli-responsive biomaterials for specific applications that require this type of specific stimuli.

Is Gelation Behavior Predictable through a Crystal Engineering Approach? A Case Study in Four Similar Coordination Compounds

In this paper, a detailed study on the gelation properties of a series of terpyridine and dipyrazine-pyridine ligands in the presence of metal salts is reported. To reveal the driving forces for the self-assembly of the metallogelators, their crystal structure is scrutinized. Inspired by the gelation of CuCl₂[Terpy- nCN], where "Terpy- nCN" is 4'-( n-cyanophenyl)-2,2',6',2″-terpyridine, to look into the aggregation behavior of the related analogues, synthesis of CuCl₂[Dipyz-py- nCN] derivatives, where "Dipyz-py- nCN" is 4-( n-cyanophenyl)-2,6-di-pyrazin-2-yl-pyridine, with the same cyano groups is performed. We then find that the Dipyz-py counterpart forms crystals when the molecules are stacked in an alternating way, instead of the unidirectional one required for gel formation. A crystal engineering approach is applied to determine the interactions that are favorable for fabricating a fiber network that is likely to be present in both crystalline and gel states and to find the interaction that disturbs this delicate balance between gelation and crystallization in coordination compounds; then, we conclude that the subtle balance between the molecular shape and intermolecular interactions is the origin of the gelation and crystallization of the current molecular system. This enables us to find the mutual connection among the structure of molecules, assembly behavior, and intermolecular interactions. With our experiments, a deep understanding of the balance among solution, gelation, and crystallization with subtle molecular diversions is provided.

The Kinetics, Thermodynamics and Mechanisms of Short Aromatic Peptide Self-Assembly

The self-assembly of short aromatic peptides and peptide derivatives into a variety of different nano- and microstructures (fibrillar gels, crystals, spheres, plates) is a promising route toward the creation of bio-compatible materials with often unexpected and useful properties. Furthermore, such simple self-assembling systems have been proposed as model systems for the self-assembly of longer peptides, a process that can be linked to biological function and malfunction. Much effort has been made in the last 15 years to explore the space of peptide sequences, chemical modifications and solvent conditions in order to maximise the diversity of assembly morphologies and properties. However, quantitative studies of the corresponding mechanisms of, and driving forces for, peptide self-assembly have remained relatively scarce until recently. In this chapter we review the current state of understanding of the thermodynamic driving forces and self-assembly mechanisms of short aromatic peptides into supramolecular structures. We will focus on experimental studies of the assembly process and our perspective will be centered around diphenylalanine (FF), a key motif of the amyloid β sequence and a paradigmatic self-assembly building block. Our main focus is the basic physical chemistry and key structural aspects of such systems, and we will also compare the mechanism of dipeptide aggregation with that of longer peptide sequences into amyloid fibrils, with discussion on how these mechanisms may be revealed through detailed analysis of growth kinetics, thermodynamics and other fundamental properties of the aggregation process.

Guiding principles for peptide nanotechnology through directed discovery

Life's diverse molecular functions are largely based on only a small number of highly conserved building blocks - the twenty canonical amino acids. These building blocks are chemically simple, but when they are organized in three-dimensional structures of tremendous complexity, new properties emerge. This review explores recent efforts in the directed discovery of functional nanoscale systems and materials based on these same amino acids, but that are not guided by copying or editing biological systems. The review summarises insights obtained using three complementary approaches of searching the sequence space to explore sequence-structure relationships for assembly, reactivity and complexation, namely: (i) strategic editing of short peptide sequences; (ii) computational approaches to predicting and comparing assembly behaviours; (iii) dynamic peptide libraries that explore the free energy landscape. These approaches give rise to guiding principles on controlling order/disorder, complexation and reactivity by peptide sequence design.

Molecular simulations of self-assembling bio-inspired supramolecular systems and their connection to experiments

In bionanotechnology, the field of creating functional materials consisting of bio-inspired molecules, the function and shape of a nanostructure only appear through the assembly of many small molecules together. The large number of building blocks required to define a nanostructure combined with the many degrees of freedom in packing small molecules has long precluded molecular simulations, but recent advances in computational hardware as well as software have made classical simulations available to this strongly expanding field. Here, we review the state of the art in simulations of self-assembling bio-inspired supramolecular systems. We will first discuss progress in force fields, simulation protocols and enhanced sampling techniques using recent examples. Secondly, we will focus on efforts to enable the comparison of experimentally accessible observables and computational results. Experimental quantities that can be measured by microscopy, spectroscopy and scattering can be linked to simulation output either directly or indirectly, via quantum mechanical or semi-empirical techniques. Overall, we aim to provide an overview of the various computational approaches to understand not only the molecular architecture of nanostructures, but also the mechanism of their formation.

From helical supramolecular arrays to gel-forming networks: lattice restructuring and aggregation control in peptide-based sulfamides to integrate new functional attributes

While supramolecular organisation is central to both crystallization and gelation, the latter is more complex considering its dynamic nature and multifactorial dependence. This makes the rational design of gelators an extremely difficult task. In this report, the assembly preference of a group of peptide-based sulfamides was modulated by making them part of an acid-amine two-component system to drive the tendency from crystallization to gelation. Here, the peptide core directed the assembly while the long-chain amines, introduced through salt-bridges, promoted layering and anisotropic development of primary aggregates. This proved to be very successful, leading to gelation of a number of solvents. Apart from this, it was possible to fine-tune their aggregation using an amphiphilic polymer like F-127 as an additive to get honey-comb-like 3D molecular architectures. These gels also proved to be excellent matrices for entrapping silver nanoparticles with superior emissive properties.

Fiber Network Formation in Semi-Flexible Polymer Solutions: An Exploratory Computational Study

The formation of gels through the bundling of semi-flexible polymer chains into fiber networks is ubiquitous in diverse manufactured and natural materials, and, accordingly, we perform exploratory molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of semi-flexible polymers in a solution with attractive lateral interchain interactions to understand essential features of this type of gel formation. After showing that our model gives rise to fibrous gels resembling real gels of this kind, we investigate how the extent of fiber bundling influences the "melting" temperature, T m , and the emergent rigidification of model bundled fibers having a fixed number of chains, N, within them. Based on our preliminary observations, we suggest the fiber size is kinetically selected by a reduced thermodynamic driving force and a slowing of the dynamics within the fibers associated with their progressive rigidification with the inclusion of an increasing number of chains in the bundle.

Determination of the packing model of a supramolecular nanofiber via mass-per-length measurement and de novo simulation

Herein, we report an example of using scanning transmission electron microscopy to determine the mass-per-length of supramolecular nanofibers. Together with the measurement of the diameter of nanofibers via transmission electron microscopy, we could estimate the packing density of assembling molecules along the nanofibers. A parallel unbiased de novo simulation screens and reveals the most plausible molecular packing pattern of small molecules along the supramolecular nanofibers. Remarkably, the simulated packing patterns and density correlate well with the experimental measurements. Unexpectedly, the naphthalene groups are likely facing outward, creating a hydrophobic surface, which is driven by the geometry of the hydrogelator molecule. Overall, this study establishes a complementary method to determine molecular arrangement along the supramolecular nanofibers, which is potentially useful for the guidance of rational design of biomaterials based on self-assembly.

Self-assembly pathways and polymorphism in peptide-based nanostructures

Dipeptide derivative molecules can self-assemble into space-filling nanofiber networks at low volume fractions (<1%), allowing the formation of molecular gels with tunable mechanical properties. The self-assembly of dipeptide-based molecules is reminiscent of pathological amyloid fibril formation by naturally occurring polypeptides. Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) is the most widely studied such molecule, but the thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena giving rise to Fmoc-FF gel formation remain poorly understood. We have previously presented evidence that the gelation process is a first order phase transition characterized by low energy barriers to nucleation, short induction times, and rapid quasi-one-dimensional crystal growth, stemming from solvent-solute interactions and highly specific molecular packing. Here, we discuss the phase behavior of Fmoc-FF in different solvents. We find that Fmoc-FF gel formation can be induced in apolar solvents, in addition to previously established pathways in aqueous systems. We further show that in certain solvent systems anisotropic crystals (nanofibers) are an initial metastable state, after which macroscopic crystal aggregates with no preferred axis of growth are formed. The molecular conformation is sensitive to solvent composition during assembly, indicating that Fmoc-FF may be a simple model system to study complex thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena involved in peptide self-assembly.

Recent Advances in the Chemistry of Glycoconjugate Amphiphiles

Glyconanoparticles essentially result from the (covalent or noncovalent) association of nanometer-scale objects with carbohydrates. Such glyconanoparticles can take many different forms and this mini review will focus only on soft materials (colloids, liposomes, gels etc.) with a special emphasis on glycolipid-derived nanomaterials and the chemistry involved for their synthesis. Also this contribution presents Low Molecular Weight Gels (LMWGs) stabilized by glycoconjugate amphiphiles. Such soft materials are likely to be of interest for different biomedical applications.

Trace Water as Prominent Factor to Induce Peptide Self-Assembly: Dynamic Evolution and Governing Interactions in Ionic Liquids

The interaction between water and biomolecules including peptides is of critical importance for forming high-level architectures and triggering life's functions. However, the bulk aqueous environment has limitations in detecting the kinetics and mechanisms of peptide self-assembly, especially relating to interactions of trace water. With ionic liquids (ILs) as a nonconventional medium, herein, it is discovered that trace amounts of water play a decisive role in triggering self-assembly of a biologically derived dipeptide. ILs provide a suitable nonaqueous environment, enabling us to mediate water content and follow the dynamic evolution of peptide self-assembly. The trace water is found to be involved in the assembly process of dipeptide, especially leading to the formation of stable noncovalent dipeptide oligomers in the early stage of nucleation, as evident by both experimental studies and theoretical simulations. The thermodynamics of the growth process is mainly governed by a synergistic effect of hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonds. Each step of assembly presents a different trend in thermodynamic energy. The dynamic evolution of assembly process can be efficiently mediated by changing trace water content. The decisive role of trace water in triggering and mediating self-assembly of biomolecules provides a new perspective in understanding supramolecular chemistry and molecular self-organization in biology.