Intramolecular interactions of a phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair in the formation of supramolecular nanofibers and hydrogels

Abstract

A new system for the incorporation of a phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair in the structure of a peptide hydrogelator was developed. The strategy is based on the idea that the integration of an end-capped perfluorophenyl group and a phenylalanine with a phenyl moiety in the side chain forms an intramolecular phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair, which can be used to promote the formation of the supramolecular nanofibers and hydrogels. This work illustrates the importance of structure-hydrogelation relationship and provides new insights into the design of self-assembly nanobiomaterials.

Keywords: hydrogels; nanofibers; noncovalent interactions; self-assembly; supramolecular chemistry.