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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
Metal-complexed nanofiber formation in water from dicarboxylic valylvaline bolaamphiphiles
Masaki Kogiso1, Yuji Okada, Kiyoshi Yase
1Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan. m-kogiso@aist.go.jp
Abstract:
Nanofiber formation of dipeptide-based bolaamphiphiles, bis (N-alpha-amide--valyl--valine) 1,n-alkane dicarboxylate (n=6, 8, 10, and 12) in water was analyzed by TEM, SEM, IR, and XRD. The bolaamphiphiles proved to be coordinated to divalent transition-metal cations, such as Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+, giving precipitates, colloidal dispersions (loose hydrogels), and hydrogels upon self-assembly at 23 or 70 degrees C. Longer oligomethylene chains and strong interaction between the metal cations and the carboxylate anions are responsible for the hydrogel formation. Energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy (EF-TEM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (EF-SEM) images revealed that the colloidal dispersions and the hydrogels consist of a large number of nanofibers with widths of 15-20 nm and lengths of several micrometers. FT-IR and powder XRD measurement supported the existence of a beta-sheet structure-based nanofibers complexing with metal cations.
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