Looking into a crystal ball: printing and patterning self-assembled peptide nanostructures

The solution processability of organic semiconductors and conjugated polymers along with the advent of nanomaterials as conducting inks have revolutionized next-generation flexible consumer electronics. Another equally important class of nanomaterials, self-assembled peptides, heralded as next-generation materials for bioelectronics, have a lot of potential in printed technology. In this minireview, we address the self-assembly process in dipeptides, their application in electronics, and recent progress in three-dimensional printing. The prospect of a generalizable path for nanopatterning self-assembled peptides using ice lithography and its challenges are further discussed.

Raman Spectra of Diphenylalanine Microtubes: Polarisation and Temperature Effects

Diphenylalanine microtubes have remarkable physical properties that allow one to use them in electronics. In this work, we measured polarised temperature-dependent Raman spectra in self-assembled diphenylalanine microtubes grown from the solution. We observed the anomalous temperature behaviour of the Raman lines. Their temperature changes were minimal, which required a significant improvement in the resolution and stability of Raman measurements. The anomalies in the behaviour of the spectra at about 178 K, 235 K, 255 K, 278 K, 296 K, 398 K and 412 K were observed. The structural phase transition at 398 K is irreversible. This transition is associated with the release of water molecules from nanochannels. The irreversible phase transition has a temperature range of about 10 K.