Abstract
Among the many parameters that have been explored to exercise control over self-assembly processes, the influence of surface properties on self-assembly has been recognized as important but has received considerably less attention than other factors. This is particularly true for biomolecule-derived self-assembling molecules such as protein, peptide, and nucleobase derivatives. Because of their relevance to biomaterial and drug delivery applications, interest in these materials is increasing. As the formation of supramolecular structures from these biomolecule derivatives inevitably brings them into contact with the surfaces of surrounding materials, understanding and controlling the impact of the properties of these surfaces on the self-assembly process are important. In this feature article, we present an overview of the different surface parameters that have been used and studied for the direction of the self-assembly of protein, peptide, and nucleoside-based molecules. The current mechanistic understanding of these processes will be discussed, and potential applications of surface-mediated self-assembly will be outlined.
Highlights
Biomimicry and the design of naturally inspired materials through self-assembly was originally a branch of fundamental science but has become an important concept in nanotechnology
A number of excellent reviews exist that describe selfassembly as a fundamental strategy for building hierarchical structures in both living systems and for novel advanced materials.[6−10] In particular, it is well established that these selfassembled materials contain the potential to control drug delivery processes and enable the growth and regeneration of cellular tissue, among other possibilities.[11−13] Over the past several decades, considerable effort has been expended in understanding and utilizing ways to control the intermolecular interactions between supramolecular building blocks and direct the self-assembly process to construct complex architectures with tailored functions
An increasing number of publications describe the application of self-assembled materials in controlling stem cell fate,[94−97] bacterial signaling,[98] drug delivery,[99,100] and templating inorganic nanostructure to form hybrid materials[101−104] and nanosensors.[105−108] Applications related to supramolecular materials obtained by surface-mediated self-assembly are beginning to emerge and encompass biomedical applications where cell surfaces are exploited as self-assembly-mediating surfaces to influence cell fate, templating mechanisms to create other structures and as analytical sensing devices
Summary
Biomimicry and the design of naturally inspired materials through self-assembly was originally a branch of fundamental science but has become an important concept in nanotechnology. The effect of surfaces on the self-assembly of de novo-designed organic molecules has been reviewed in the past.[14−16] It is notable that among the efforts to investigate surface-mediated self-assembly, the design of new molecules that fit or adapt to the properties of a surface, often selected because of its inherent crystal structure, is a central strategy Biomolecules such as proteins, peptides, and biologically derived molecules, including de novo-designed peptides or nucleotides, that are able to self-assemble often cannot be subjected to the modulation of their chemical structure at will because this may interfere with their other biological functions. A brief outline of current applications of these strategies will be presented
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