1
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Wang J, Li Z. Electric field modulated configuration and orientation of aqueous molecule chains. J Chem Phys 2024; 161:094305. [PMID: 39230558 DOI: 10.1063/5.0222122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how external electric fields (EFs) impact the properties of aqueous molecules is crucial for various applications in chemistry, biology, and engineering. In this paper, we present a study utilizing molecular dynamics simulation to explore how direct-current (DC) and alternative-current (AC) EFs affect hydrophobic (n-triacontane) and hydrophilic (PEG-10) oligomer chains. Through a machine learning approach, we extract a 2-dimensional free energy (FE) landscape of these molecules, revealing that electric fields modulate the FE landscape to favor stretched configurations and enhance the alignment of the chain with the electric field. Our observations indicate that DC EFs have a more prominent impact on modulation compared to AC EFs and that EFs have a stronger effect on hydrophobic chains than on hydrophilic oligomers. We analyze the orientation of water dipole moments and hydrogen bonds, finding that EFs align water molecules and induce more directional hydrogen bond networks, forming 1D water structures. This favors the stretched configuration and alignment of the studied oligomers simultaneously, as it minimizes the disruption of 1D structures. This research deepens our understanding of the mechanisms by which electric fields modulate molecular properties and could guide the broader application of EFs to control other aqueous molecules, such as proteins or biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Wang
- College of Science, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Boshi Road, Dangwu Town, Gui'an New District, Guizhou 550025, China
| | - Zhiling Li
- College of Science, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Boshi Road, Dangwu Town, Gui'an New District, Guizhou 550025, China
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2
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Bhat V, Callaway CP, Risko C. Computational Approaches for Organic Semiconductors: From Chemical and Physical Understanding to Predicting New Materials. Chem Rev 2023. [PMID: 37141497 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
While a complete understanding of organic semiconductor (OSC) design principles remains elusive, computational methods─ranging from techniques based in classical and quantum mechanics to more recent data-enabled models─can complement experimental observations and provide deep physicochemical insights into OSC structure-processing-property relationships, offering new capabilities for in silico OSC discovery and design. In this Review, we trace the evolution of these computational methods and their application to OSCs, beginning with early quantum-chemical methods to investigate resonance in benzene and building to recent machine-learning (ML) techniques and their application to ever more sophisticated OSC scientific and engineering challenges. Along the way, we highlight the limitations of the methods and how sophisticated physical and mathematical frameworks have been created to overcome those limitations. We illustrate applications of these methods to a range of specific challenges in OSCs derived from π-conjugated polymers and molecules, including predicting charge-carrier transport, modeling chain conformations and bulk morphology, estimating thermomechanical properties, and describing phonons and thermal transport, to name a few. Through these examples, we demonstrate how advances in computational methods accelerate the deployment of OSCsin wide-ranging technologies, such as organic photovoltaics (OPVs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic thermoelectrics, organic batteries, and organic (bio)sensors. We conclude by providing an outlook for the future development of computational techniques to discover and assess the properties of high-performing OSCs with greater accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinayak Bhat
- Department of Chemistry & Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, United States
| | - Connor P Callaway
- Department of Chemistry & Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, United States
| | - Chad Risko
- Department of Chemistry & Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0055, United States
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3
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Shao L, Ma J, Prelesnik JL, Zhou Y, Nguyen M, Zhao M, Jenekhe SA, Kalinin SV, Ferguson AL, Pfaendtner J, Mundy CJ, De Yoreo JJ, Baneyx F, Chen CL. Hierarchical Materials from High Information Content Macromolecular Building Blocks: Construction, Dynamic Interventions, and Prediction. Chem Rev 2022; 122:17397-17478. [PMID: 36260695 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hierarchical materials that exhibit order over multiple length scales are ubiquitous in nature. Because hierarchy gives rise to unique properties and functions, many have sought inspiration from nature when designing and fabricating hierarchical matter. More and more, however, nature's own high-information content building blocks, proteins, peptides, and peptidomimetics, are being coopted to build hierarchy because the information that determines structure, function, and interfacial interactions can be readily encoded in these versatile macromolecules. Here, we take stock of recent progress in the rational design and characterization of hierarchical materials produced from high-information content blocks with a focus on stimuli-responsive and "smart" architectures. We also review advances in the use of computational simulations and data-driven predictions to shed light on how the side chain chemistry and conformational flexibility of macromolecular blocks drive the emergence of order and the acquisition of hierarchy and also on how ionic, solvent, and surface effects influence the outcomes of assembly. Continued progress in the above areas will ultimately usher in an era where an understanding of designed interactions, surface effects, and solution conditions can be harnessed to achieve predictive materials synthesis across scale and drive emergent phenomena in the self-assembly and reconfiguration of high-information content building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shao
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Jinrong Ma
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jesse L Prelesnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Yicheng Zhou
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States
| | - Mary Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Mingfei Zhao
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Samson A Jenekhe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Sergei V Kalinin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jim Pfaendtner
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States.,Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Christopher J Mundy
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States.,Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - François Baneyx
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Chun-Long Chen
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99354, United States.,Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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4
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Ferguson AL, Tovar JD. Evolution of π-Peptide Self-Assembly: From Understanding to Prediction and Control. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:15463-15475. [PMID: 36475709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular materials derived from the self-assembly of engineered molecules continue to garner tremendous scientific and technological interest. Recent innovations include the realization of nano- and mesoscale particles (0D), rods and fibrils (1D), sheets (2D), and even extended lattices (3D). Our research groups have focused attention over the past 15 years on one particular class of supramolecular materials derived from oligopeptides with embedded π-electron units, where the oligopeptides can be viewed as substituents or side chains to direct the assembly of the central π-electron cores. Upon assembly, the π-systems are driven into close cofacial architectures that facilitate a variety of energy migration processes within the nanomaterial volume, including exciton transport, voltage transmission, and photoinduced electron transfer. Like many practitioners of supramolecular materials science, many of our initial molecular designs were designed with substantial inspiration from biologically occurring self-assembly coupled with input from chemical intuition and molecular modeling and simulation. In this feature article, we summarize our current understanding of the π-peptide self-assembly process as documented through our body of publications in this area. We address fundamental spectroscopic and computational tools used to extract information regarding the internal structures and energetics of the π-peptide assemblies, and we address the current state of the art in terms of recent applications of data science tools in conjunction with high-throughput computational screening and experimental assays to guide the efficient traversal of the π-peptide molecular design space. The abstract image details our integrated program of chemical synthesis, spectroscopic and functional characterization, multiscale simulation, and machine learning which has advanced the understanding and control of the assembly of synthetic π-conjugated peptides into supramolecular nanostructures with energy and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - John D Tovar
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 United States
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5
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Kieninger S, Keller BG. GROMACS Stochastic Dynamics and BAOAB Are Equivalent Configurational Sampling Algorithms. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:5792-5798. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Kieninger
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina G. Keller
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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6
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Hamsici S, White AD, Acar H. Peptide framework for screening the effects of amino acids on assembly. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj0305. [PMID: 35044831 PMCID: PMC8769536 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Discovery of peptide domains with unique intermolecular interactions is essential for engineering peptide-based materials. Rather than attempting a brute-force approach, we instead identify a previously unexplored strategy for discovery and study of intermolecular interactions: “co-assembly of oppositely charged peptide” (CoOP), a framework that “encourages” peptide assembly by mixing two oppositely charged hexapeptides. We used an integrated computational and experimental approach, probed the free energy of association and probability of amino acid contacts during co-assembly with atomic-resolution simulations, and correlated them to the physical properties of the aggregates. We introduce CoOP with three examples: dialanine, ditryptophan, and diisoleucine. Our results indicated that the opposite charges initiate the assembly, and the subsequent stability is enhanced by the presence of an undisturbed hydrophobic core. CoOP represents a unique, simple, and elegant framework that can be used to identify the structure-property relationships of self-assembling peptide-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren Hamsici
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73069 USA
| | - Andrew D. White
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
- Corresponding author. (A.D.W.); (H.A.)
| | - Handan Acar
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73069 USA
- Corresponding author. (A.D.W.); (H.A.)
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7
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Ding J, Xu N, Nguyen MT, Qiao Q, Shi Y, He Y, Shao Q. Machine learning for molecular thermodynamics. Chin J Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2020.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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8
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Zhao M, Sampath J, Alamdari S, Shen G, Chen CL, Mundy CJ, Pfaendtner J, Ferguson AL. MARTINI-Compatible Coarse-Grained Model for the Mesoscale Simulation of Peptoids. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:7745-7764. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c04567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingfei Zhao
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Janani Sampath
- Physical Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Sarah Alamdari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Gillian Shen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Chun-Long Chen
- Physical Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Christopher J. Mundy
- Physical Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jim Pfaendtner
- Physical Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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9
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Szała B, Molski A. Chiral structure fluctuations predicted by a coarse-grained model of peptide aggregation. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5071-5080. [PMID: 32453328 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00090f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This work reports on the chiral structure fluctuations of peptide clusters at the early stages of aggregation in a coarse-grained peptide model. Our model reproduces a variety of aggregate structures, from disordered to crystal-like, that are observed experimentally. Unexpectedly, our molecular dynamics simulations showed that the small peptide cluster undergoes chiral structure fluctuations although the underlying implicit solvent model does not assume the chirality of peptides. The chiral fluctuations are quantified through a cluster twist parameter. A simple model is presented where the twist parameter undergoes a stochastic diffusion on a 1D potential surface. The shape of the potential surface changes with the cluster size. The model shows semi-quantitative agreement with the simulations. We hypothesize that the chiral fluctuations at the early stages of peptide aggregation can contribute to the selection of the final fibril structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Szała
- Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Faculty of Chemistry, Umultowska 89b, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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10
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Shmilovich K, Mansbach RA, Sidky H, Dunne OE, Panda SS, Tovar JD, Ferguson AL. Discovery of Self-Assembling π-Conjugated Peptides by Active Learning-Directed Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:3873-3891. [PMID: 32180410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Electronically active organic molecules have demonstrated great promise as novel soft materials for energy harvesting and transport. Self-assembled nanoaggregates formed from π-conjugated oligopeptides composed of an aromatic core flanked by oligopeptide wings offer emergent optoelectronic properties within a water-soluble and biocompatible substrate. Nanoaggregate properties can be controlled by tuning core chemistry and peptide composition, but the sequence-structure-function relations remain poorly characterized. In this work, we employ coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations within an active learning protocol employing deep representational learning and Bayesian optimization to efficiently identify molecules capable of assembling pseudo-1D nanoaggregates with good stacking of the electronically active π-cores. We consider the DXXX-OPV3-XXXD oligopeptide family, where D is an Asp residue and OPV3 is an oligophenylenevinylene oligomer (1,4-distyrylbenzene), to identify the top performing XXX tripeptides within all 203 = 8000 possible sequences. By direct simulation of only 2.3% of this space, we identify molecules predicted to exhibit superior assembly relative to those reported in prior work. Spectral clustering of the top candidates reveals new design rules governing assembly. This work establishes new understanding of DXXX-OPV3-XXXD assembly, identifies promising new candidates for experimental testing, and presents a computational design platform that can be generically extended to other peptide-based and peptide-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Shmilovich
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Rachael A Mansbach
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Hythem Sidky
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Olivia E Dunne
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Sayak Subhra Panda
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Institute of NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - John D Tovar
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Institute of NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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11
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Thurston BA, Shapera EP, Tovar JD, Schleife A, Ferguson AL. Revealing the Sequence-Structure-Electronic Property Relation of Self-Assembling π-Conjugated Oligopeptides by Molecular and Quantum Mechanical Modeling. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:15221-15231. [PMID: 31657579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled nanoaggregates of π-conjugated synthetic peptides present a biocompatible and highly tunable alternative to silicon-based optical and electronic materials. Understanding the relationship between structural morphology and electronic properties of these assemblies is critical for understanding and controlling their mechanical, optical, and electronic responses. In this work, we combine all-atom classical molecular simulations with quantum mechanical electronic structure calculations to ascertain the sequence-structure-electronic property relationship within a family of Asp-X-X-quaterthiophene-X-X-Asp (DXX-OT4-XXD) oligopeptides in which X is one of the five amino acids {Ala, Phe, Gly, Ile, Val} ({A, F, G, I, V}). Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that smaller amino acid substituents (A, G) favor linear stacking within a peptide dimer, whereas larger groups (F, I, V) induce larger twist angles between the peptides. Density functional theory calculations on the dimer show the absorption spectrum to be dominated by transitions between carbon and sulfur p orbitals. Although the absorption spectrum is largely insensitive to the relative twist angle, the highest occupied molecular orbital strongly localizes onto one molecule within the dimer at large twist angles, impeding the efficiency of transport between molecules. Our results provide a fundamental understanding of the relation between peptide orientation and electronic structure and offer design precepts for rational engineering of these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A Thurston
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies , Sandia National Laboratories , P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque , New Mexico 87185 , United States
| | - Ethan P Shapera
- Department of Physics , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1110 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - John D Tovar
- Department of Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences , Johns Hopkins University , 3400 North Charles Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology , Johns Hopkins University , 3400 North Charles Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering , Johns Hopkins University , 3400 North Charles Street , Baltimore , Maryland 21218 , United States
| | - André Schleife
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , 1304 West Green Street , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Materials Research Laboratory , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 104 South Goodwin Avenue , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1205 West Clark Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
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12
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Panda SS, Shmilovich K, Ferguson AL, Tovar JD. Controlling Supramolecular Chirality in Peptide-π-Peptide Networks by Variation of the Alkyl Spacer Length. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:14060-14073. [PMID: 31566986 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled supramolecular organic materials with π-functionalities are of great interest because of their applications as biocompatible nanoelectronics. A detailed understanding of molecular parameters to modulate the formation of hierarchical structures can inform design principles for materials with engineered optical and electronic properties. In this work, we combine molecular-level characterization techniques with all-atom molecular simulations to investigate the subtle relationship between the chemical structure of peptide-π-peptide molecules and the emergent supramolecular chirality of their spontaneously self-assembled nanoaggregates. We demonstrate through circular dichroism measurements that we can modulate the chirality by incorporating alkyl spacers of various lengths in between the peptides and thienylene-phenylene π-system chromophores: even numbers of alkyl carbons in the spacer units (0, 2) induce M-type helical character whereas odd numbers (1, 3) induce P-type. Corroborating molecular dynamics simulations and explicating machine learning analysis techniques identify hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic packing to be the principal discriminants of the observed chirality switches. Our results present a molecular-level design rule to engineer chirality into optically and electronically active nanoaggregates of these peptidic building blocks by exploiting systematic variations in the alkyl spacer length.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirill Shmilovich
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering , University of Chicago , 5640 South Ellis Avenue , Chicago , Illinois 60637 , United States
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13
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Mansbach RA, Ferguson AL. Patchy Particle Model of the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of π-Conjugated Optoelectronic Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:10219-10236. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b05781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A. Mansbach
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 1304 W Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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14
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Valverde LR, Thurston BA, Ferguson AL, Wilson WL. Evidence for Prenucleated Fibrilogenesis of Acid-Mediated Self-Assembling Oligopeptides via Molecular Simulation and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:7346-7354. [PMID: 29842783 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
An important step in controlling biomimetic amyloid systems is understanding the self-assembly reaction kinetics. We are interested in a family of such materials characterized by symmetric sequences of amino acids flanking a π-conjugated functional core. Many of these materials rapidly self-assemble into long fibers upon protonation in an acidic environment. Despite extensive investigation of these materials' properties, little is yet understood regarding their reaction kinetics. Based on previous studies, we have chosen DFAG-4T-GAFD as a representative system and conducted molecular dynamics simulations to show that although large-scale assembly is induced by lowering pH, some degree of assembly is thermodynamically favorable in high-pH nonprotonating environments. These results are consistent with findings for other systems such as DFAG-OPV-GAFD. The nonprotonated aggregation also appears to be concentration dependent, occurring at concentrations of 100 nM and above. Single molecule measurements using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy provide experimental support for these computational predictions. We find evidence of spontaneous aggregation in aqueous solutions of peptides with concentrations as low as 100 nM; however, 10 nM solutions appear to be largely homogeneous solutions of unassembled monomer. These results indicate that the simplest explanations for kinetics of acid-mediated assembly-protonation-induced nucleation by monomeric addition followed by subsequent stages of aggregation and elongation-are inappropriate in this system. In fact, the system only exists as pure monomer in very low concentrations, nucleation actually occurs in the absence of protonating elements at concentrations typically used for experiments, and pH triggered assembly proceeds from these preassembled aggregates. Accordingly, triggered assembly must be considered to operate outside the domain of nucleation-dependent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence R Valverde
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1304 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Bryce A Thurston
- Department of Physics , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1110 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1304 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 600 South Mathews Avenue , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Department of Physics , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1110 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - William L Wilson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 1304 West Green Street , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
- Center for Nanoscale Systems, Faculty of Arts and Sciences , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
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15
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Frederix PWJM, Patmanidis I, Marrink SJ. Molecular simulations of self-assembling bio-inspired supramolecular systems and their connection to experiments. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:3470-3489. [PMID: 29688238 PMCID: PMC5961611 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00040a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pim W. J. M. Frederix
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
| | - Ilias Patmanidis
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
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16
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Abstract
Self-assembled peptide nanostructures have been increasingly exploited as functional materials for applications in biomedicine and energy. The emergent properties of these nanomaterials determine the applications for which they can be exploited. It has recently been appreciated that nanomaterials composed of multicomponent coassembled peptides often display unique emergent properties that have the potential to dramatically expand the functional utility of peptide-based materials. This review presents recent efforts in the development of multicomponent peptide assemblies. The discussion includes multicomponent assemblies derived from short low molecular weight peptides, peptide amphiphiles, coiled coil peptides, collagen, and β-sheet peptides. The design, structure, emergent properties, and applications for these multicomponent assemblies are presented in order to illustrate the potential of these formulations as sophisticated next-generation bio-inspired materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Raymond
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627-0216, USA.
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17
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Thurston BA, Ferguson AL. Machine learning and molecular design of self-assembling -conjugated oligopeptides. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2018.1469754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A. Thurston
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
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18
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Javanbakht G, Sedghi M, Welch WR, Goual L, Hoepfner MP. Molecular polydispersity improves prediction of asphaltene aggregation. J Mol Liq 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2018.02.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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19
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Tovar JD. Photon management in supramolecular peptide nanomaterials. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2017; 13:015004. [PMID: 29076807 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/aa9685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembling peptides with covalent pi-electron functionality offer new ways to create delocalized conduits within protein-based nanomaterials. My group's recent research is summarized in this regard, detailing foundational self-assembly and photophysical characterizations that validate the electronic couplings existing within the resulting peptidic nanomaterials. Using these initial studies as a benchmark, ongoing studies to create even more complex photonic energy delocalization schemes are presented, spanning excitonic and Förster energy transfer to low-bandgap dopant sites (whereby 46% of the observed photoluminescence could be quenched by the addition of 1 mol% of an energy acceptor), the creation of charge separated states following photoinduced electron transfer that persisted for over a nanosecond, and use of kinetic control to dictate self-sorting (at long time scales, ca. several hours) or intimate coassembly (at short time scales, ca. several seconds) of multiple peptide components. Peptide coassemblies are described that exhibit both directed exciton migration to low-energy sites and follow-up charge separation events, very much in mimicry with relevant photosynthetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Tovar
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street (NCB 316), Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
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20
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Wang J, Ferguson AL. Nonlinear machine learning in simulations of soft and biological materials. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2017.1400164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
| | - A. L. Ferguson
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL, USA
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21
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Ardoña HAM, Kale TS, Ertel A, Tovar JD. Nonresonant and Local Field Effects in Peptidic Nanostructures Bearing Oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) Units. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:7435-7445. [PMID: 28683194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b01023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nanostructures with built-in electronic functions offer a new platform for biomaterial science. In this report, we interrogate the influences of the immediate peptide environment around oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV3) electronic units embedded within one-dimensional peptide nanostructures on the resulting photophysics as assessed by UV-vis, photoluminescence (PL), and circular dichroism spectroscopies. To do so, we studied peptide-core-peptide molecules where the core was either OPV3 or an aliphatic n-decyl chain. Coassemblies of these molecules wherein the π-core was diluted as a minority component within a majority aliphatic matrix allowed for the variation of interchromophore exciton coupling commonly found in homoassemblies of peptide-OPV3-peptide monomers. Upon coassembly of the peptides, a hydrophilic tripeptide sequence (Asp-Asp-Asp-, DDD-) promoted the dilution/isolation of the peptide-π-peptide molecules in the majority peptide-decyl-peptide matrix whereas a hydrophobic tripeptide sequence (Asp-Val-Val-, DVV-) promoted the formation of self-associated stacks within the nanostructures. We also performed temperature variation studies to induce the reorganization of π-electron units in the spatially constrained n-decyl environment. This study elucidates the nonresonant (e.g., conformational) and local peptide field effects enforced within the internal environment of peptide nanomaterials and how they lead to varied photophysical properties of the embedded π-electron cores. It offers new insights on tuning the optoelectronic properties of these types of materials on the basis of the local electronic and steric environment available within the nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herdeline Ann M Ardoña
- Department of Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, ‡Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and §Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Tejaswini S Kale
- Department of Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, ‡Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and §Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Alyssa Ertel
- Department of Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, ‡Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and §Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - John D Tovar
- Department of Chemistry, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, ‡Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and §Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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22
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Wang J, Gayatri MA, Ferguson AL. Mesoscale Simulation and Machine Learning of Asphaltene Aggregation Phase Behavior and Molecular Assembly Landscapes. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:4923-4944. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b02574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Wang
- Department
of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mohit A. Gayatri
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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23
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Mansbach RA, Ferguson AL. Coarse-Grained Molecular Simulation of the Hierarchical Self-Assembly of π-Conjugated Optoelectronic Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:1684-1706. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b10165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A. Mansbach
- Department
of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 W Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Andrew L. Ferguson
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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24
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Orr AA, Wördehoff MM, Hoyer W, Tamamis P. Uncovering the Binding and Specificity of β-Wrapins for Amyloid-β and α-Synuclein. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:12781-12794. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b08485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asuka A. Orr
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
| | - Michael M. Wördehoff
- Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hoyer
- Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40204 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute
of Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
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25
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Deidda G, Jonnalagadda SVR, Spies JW, Ranella A, Mossou E, Forsyth VT, Mitchell EP, Bowler MW, Tamamis P, Mitraki A. Self-Assembled Amyloid Peptides with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) Motifs As Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:1404-1416. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Graziano Deidda
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Greece
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology−Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion 70013, Greece
| | - Sai Vamshi R. Jonnalagadda
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
| | - Jacob W. Spies
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
| | - Anthi Ranella
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology−Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion 70013, Greece
| | - Estelle Mossou
- Institut Laue Langevin, 6 rue
Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Faculty of
Natural Sciences/Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - V. Trevor Forsyth
- Institut Laue Langevin, 6 rue
Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Faculty of
Natural Sciences/Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
| | - Edward P. Mitchell
- Faculty of
Natural Sciences/Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, United Kingdom
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Matthew W. Bowler
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, F-38042 Grenoble, France
- Unit
for Virus Host Cell Interactions, Université Grenoble Alpes−EMBL-CNRS, 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, F-38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3122, United States
| | - Anna Mitraki
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, University of Crete, Heraklion 70013, Greece
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL), Foundation for Research and Technology−Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion 70013, Greece
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26
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Abstract
Asphaltenes constitute a heavy aromatic crude oil fraction with a propensity to aggregate and precipitate out of solution during petroleum processing. Aggregation is thought to proceed according to the Yen-Mullins hierarchy, but the molecular mechanisms underlying mesoscopic assembly remain poorly understood. By combining coarse-grained molecular models parametrized using all-atom data with high-performance GPU hardware, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations of the aggregation of hundreds of asphaltenes over microsecond time scales. Our simulations reveal a hierarchical self-assembly mechanism consistent with the Yen-Mullins model, but the details are sensitive and depend on asphaltene chemistry and environment. At low concentrations asphaltenes exist predominantly as dispersed monomers. Upon increasing concentration, we first observe parallel stacking into 1D rod-like nanoaggregates, followed by the formation of clusters of nanoaggregates associated by offset, T-shaped, and edge-edge stacking. Asphaltenes possessing long aliphatic side chains cannot form nanoaggregate clusters due to steric repulsions between their aliphatic coronae. At very high concentrations, we observe a porous percolating network of rod-like nanoaggregates suspended in a sea of interpenetrating aliphatic side chains with a fractal dimension of ∼2. The lifetime of the rod-like aggregates is described by an exponential distribution reflecting a dynamic equilibrium between coagulation and fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Wang
- Department of Physics, ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and ¶Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Andrew L Ferguson
- Department of Physics, ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and ¶Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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