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Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly
Published on: February 6, 2020
Manipulating assembly of cationic dipeptides using sulfonic azobenzenes
Hongchao Ma1, Jinbo Fei, Yue Cui
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Lab of Colloid and Interface Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China. jbli@iccas.ac.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|September 17, 2013
Summary
Researchers used sulfonic azobenzenes to control the assembly of cationic dipeptides (CDP). This resulted in diverse self-assembled structures, including urchin-like, flower-like, and plate-like morphologies.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Materials science
Background:
- Cationic dipeptides (CDP) are building blocks for self-assembled nanostructures.
- Controlling the morphology of CDP assemblies is crucial for their applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of modified sulfonic azobenzenes as external stimuli to control CDP assembly.
- To explore the formation of diverse morphologies in CDP assemblies.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of three sulfonic azobenzenes with subtle terminal modifications.
- Mixing sulfonic azobenzenes with cationic dipeptides (CDP) in solution.
- Characterization of the resulting assemblies using microscopy techniques.
Main Results:
- The sulfonic azobenzenes successfully induced the self-assembly of CDP.
- Assemblies with distinct morphologies, including urchin-like, flower-like, and plate-like structures, were observed.
- Tiny differences in the terminal groups of the azobenzenes led to varied assembly outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Sulfonic azobenzenes are effective external stimuli for directing the self-assembly of cationic dipeptides.
- Morphological diversity in CDP assemblies can be achieved by fine-tuning the azobenzene structure.
- This work provides a method for creating tunable nanostructures for potential applications.
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