Context dependence of the assembly, structure, and stability of polypeptide multilayer nanofilms

Ling Zhang, Wanhua Zhao, Jai S. Rudra, Donald T. Haynie

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polyelectrolyte multilayer nanofilms and nanocomposites have shown considerable promise for the rational development of multifunctional materials with wide-ranging properties. Polypeptides are a distinctive and largely unexplored class of polyelectrolytes in this context. Methods now exist for the synthesis of peptides with control at the level of the amino acid sequence, and for the preparation of these polymers in massive quantities. Here, we analyze the roles of six designed 32mer peptides in the fabrication, structure, and stability of multilayer nanofilms prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembly. The data show that amino acid sequence and the specific combination of anionic and cationic peptides together have a marked impact on nanofilm growth behavior, secondary structure content, and density in experimental studies. The same factors determine physical properties of the corresponding interpolypeptide complexes in molecular dynamics simulations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)476-486
Number of pages11
JournalACS Nano
Volume1
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Layer-by-layer assembly
  • Molecular dynamics multilayer film
  • Noncovalent interaction
  • Peptide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science
  • General Engineering
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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