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Updated: Jun 3, 2025
Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly
Published on: February 6, 2020
Photo-Controllable Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Based on Dynamic Chiral Self-Assembly of Sequence-Defined
Haibao Jin1, Fan Liu1, Pengchao Wu1
1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
Researchers developed photo-responsive chiral materials from sequence-defined azopeptoids. These materials transform between vesicles and nanoribbons, enabling light-controlled chirality expression and energy transfer for information encryption.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Developing stimuli-responsive chiral materials is crucial for advanced optical switches.
- Sequence-controlled polymers offer precise control over material properties.
- Biomimetic approaches can lead to innovative functional materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create photo-responsive chiral materials using sequence-defined chiral amphiphilic alternating azopeptoids.
- To investigate the self-assembly and structural transformation of these materials under light stimuli.
- To demonstrate a biomimetic energy transfer system for potential applications in information encryption.
Main Methods:
- Self-assembly of sequence-defined chiral amphiphilic alternating azopeptoids.
- Photoisomerization of azobenzene moieties induced by UV and visible light.
- Construction of a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) system with pyrene derivatives.
- Characterization of structural transformations and photoluminescence properties.
Main Results:
- Formation of ultrathin bilayer peptoidosomes (≈1.50 nm thickness, ≈290 nm diameter).
- Reversible transformation to anisotropic 1D helical nanoribbons (≈80 nm width) upon light irradiation.
- Chirality expression and transfer from chiral centers to azobenzene units.
- Demonstration of a reversible gradient fluorescent color variation (blue to yellow) with high FRET efficiency (97.2%).
Conclusions:
- The study presents a novel strategy for fabricating stimuli-responsive chiral biomimetic materials.
- The developed azopeptoid-based system exhibits light-controllable structural and chiroptical switching.
- Potential applications include advanced chiroptical switches and multi-colored information encryption.
