A peptide-PEG conjugate-directed nanoperiodic hierarchical architecture by spatial selective self-assembly at the solid/water interface

Abstract

A simple and straightforward method for the construction of planar nanoarchitectures was developed. Two-dimensional arrays of nanodots and nanofibers aligned with nanometer periodicity were spontaneously constructed by the self-assembly of a designed peptide-PEG conjugate at the solid/water interface. In this self-assembly, the secondary structure of the peptide segment adopting a random coil conformation transformed into the β-sheet conformation selectively at the interface. The spatially selective dynamic behavior of the monomeric building blocks adsorbed on the solid surface was a decisive factor in the construction of the hierarchically controlled nanoarchitectures.