Supramolecular gels are formed by the self-assembly of small molecules under the influence of various non-covalent interactions. As the interactions are individually weak and reversible it is possible to perturb the gels easily, which in turn enables fine tuning of their properties. Synthetic supramolecular gels are kinetically trapped and usually do not show time variable changes in material properties after formation. This study reports the first example of organogel formation based on the use of linear peptides made of alternating D and L amino acids, able to assume ?-helical structures. The helical structures can interact with each other to form, through intermolecular non-covalent interactions, supramolecular helical nanostructures having versatile applications in different fields. Herein a D,L-oligonorleucine was studied for they gelation properties in organic solvent at low concentrations uncovering key parameters driving organogel formation. The gelator molecule immobilise large volumes of liquid following their self-assembly into a variety of aggregates such as rods, tubules, fibers, and platelets. Among the various self-assembled systems, supramolecular gelators have a great tendency to form chiral aggregates owing to their self-assembly propensity. The supramolecular chirality, however, does not depend on whether the monomer is chiral or achiral, instead it is regulated by how the molecules are arranged in the self-assembled aggregates. The many interesting properties of these gels, such as their thermoreversibility, have led to much excitement over their industrial applications.

Organogel Formation by Hierarchical Self-Assembly of beta-Helix Forming Peptides.

Fenude Emma
2023

Abstract

Supramolecular gels are formed by the self-assembly of small molecules under the influence of various non-covalent interactions. As the interactions are individually weak and reversible it is possible to perturb the gels easily, which in turn enables fine tuning of their properties. Synthetic supramolecular gels are kinetically trapped and usually do not show time variable changes in material properties after formation. This study reports the first example of organogel formation based on the use of linear peptides made of alternating D and L amino acids, able to assume ?-helical structures. The helical structures can interact with each other to form, through intermolecular non-covalent interactions, supramolecular helical nanostructures having versatile applications in different fields. Herein a D,L-oligonorleucine was studied for they gelation properties in organic solvent at low concentrations uncovering key parameters driving organogel formation. The gelator molecule immobilise large volumes of liquid following their self-assembly into a variety of aggregates such as rods, tubules, fibers, and platelets. Among the various self-assembled systems, supramolecular gelators have a great tendency to form chiral aggregates owing to their self-assembly propensity. The supramolecular chirality, however, does not depend on whether the monomer is chiral or achiral, instead it is regulated by how the molecules are arranged in the self-assembled aggregates. The many interesting properties of these gels, such as their thermoreversibility, have led to much excitement over their industrial applications.
2023
Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare - ICB - Sede Pozzuoli
Supramolecular Structures
Organogel
Supramolecular Chirality
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/437222
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