Hierarchical Analysis of Self‐Assembled PEGylated Hexaphenylalanine Photoluminescent Nanostructures |
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| Authors: | Dr Carlo Diaferia Dr Teresa Sibillano Dr Nicole Balasco Dr Cinzia Giannini Dr Valentina Roviello Dr Luigi Vitagliano Prof Giancarlo Morelli Dr Antonella Accardo |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Pharmacy, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples ?Federico II“ and DFM Scarl, Naples, Italy;2. Institute of Crystallography (IC), CNR, Bari, Italy;3. Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), CNR, Naples, Italy;4. Regional Center of Competence Technologies Scarl, Naples, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Despite the growing literature about diphenylalanine‐based peptide materials, it still remains a challenge to delineate the theoretical insight into peptide nanostructure formation and the structural features that could permit materials with enhanced properties to be engineered. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel peptide building block composed of six phenylalanine residues and eight PEG units, PEG8‐F6. This aromatic peptide self‐assembles in water in stable and well‐ordered nanostructures with optoelectronic properties. A variety of techniques, such as fluorescence, FTIR, CD, DLS, SEM, SAXS, and WAXS allowed us to correlate the photoluminescence properties of the self‐assembled nanostructures with the structural organization of the peptide building block at the micro‐ and nanoscale. Finally, a model of hexaphenylalanine in aqueous solution by molecular dynamics simulations is presented to suggest structural and energetic factors controlling the formation of nanostructures. |
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| Keywords: | diphenylalanine molecular dynamics nanostructures peptide materials photoluminescence |
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