This highlight article by Petra Cameron and co-workers at the University of Bath and the University of Liverpool describes recent activity in the area of peptide self-assembly, with a particular focus on tri-peptides, dipeptides and protected amino acids.
Low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) are small molecules that self-assemble under the right conditions to form fibrous nanostructures, which can further associate into higher order structures. Of particular interest are LMW peptide hydrogelators which are biomimetic and form translucent hydrogels when added to water. The gels typically contain >99% water and have been suggested for applications in regenerative tissue engineering, 3-D cell culturing, bio-templating, drug delivery, enzyme immobilisation and biosensing.
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Peptide based low molecular weight gelators
Eleanor K. Johnson, Dave J. Adams and Petra J. Cameron
J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0JM03099F, Highlight
