Self-assembled nanomaterials based on beta (β³) tetrapeptides

β ³-amino acid based polypeptides offer a unique starting material for the design of self-assembled nanostructures such as fibres and hierarchical dendritic assemblies, due to their well-defined helical geometry in which the peptide side chains align at 120° due to the 3.0–3.1 residue pitch of the helix. In a previous work we have described the head-to-tail self-assembly of N-terminal acetylated β ³-peptides into infinite helical nanorods that was achieved by designing a bioinspired supramolecular self-assembly motif. Here we describe the effect of consecutively more polar side chains on the self-assembly characteristics of β ³-tetrapeptides Ac-β ³Ala-β ³Leu-β ³Ile-β ³Ala (Ac-β³[ALIA]), Ac-β ³Ser-β ³Leu-β ³Ile-β ³Ala (Ac-β³[SLIA]) and Ac-β ³Lys-β ³Leu-β ³Ile-β ³Glu (Ac-β³[KLIE]). β ³-tetrapeptides complete 1 1/3 turns of the helix: thus in the oligomeric form the side chain positions shift 120° with each added monomer, forming a regular periodic pattern along the nanorod. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements confirmed that these peptides self-assemble even in highly polar solvents such as water and DMSO, while diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy revealed the presence of a substantial monomeric population. Temperature dependence of the size distribution in DLS measurements suggests a dynamic equilibrium between monomers and oligomers. Solution casting produced distinct fibrillar deposits after evaporating the solvent. In the case of the apolar Ac-β ³[ALIA] the longitudinal helix morphology gives rise to geometrically defined (∼70°) junctions between fibres, forming a mesh that opens up possibilities for applications e.g. in tissue scaffolding. The deposits of polar Ac-β ³[SLIA] and Ac-β ³[KLIE] exhibit fibres in regular parallel alignment over surface areas in the order of 10 μm. (paper)