Controllable self-assembled laminated nanoribbons from dipeptide-amphiphile bearing azobenzene moiety

Abstract

Artificial peptide self-assembly is an appealing research subject which has been demonstrated to be a reliable approach to create hierarchical nanostructures and biomaterials. In this paper, a dipeptide-amphiphile incorporated with an azobenzene moiety is synthesized, which are found to self-assemble into well-defined laminated nanoribbons as well as macroscopic hydrogel. The nanoribbons are formed by nanofibers aligning in nearly lamellar arrays. The driving force of dipeptide self-assembly is proposed to be a synergic effect of hydrophobic interaction, aromatic packing, and hydrogen bond. The addition of NaCl is found to promote hydrogelation and nanoribbon formation. Finally photoisomerization of the azobenzene group is utilized to rationally control dipeptide self-assembly and hydrogel formation by remote light input.