Derivatization of surface-bound peptides for mass spectrometric detection via threshold single photon ionization

Chemical derivatization of peptides allows efficient F2 laser single photon ionization (SPI) of Fmoc-derivatized peptides covalently bound to surfaces. Laser desorption photoionization mass spectrometry using 337-nm pulses for desorption and 157.6-nm pulses for threshold SPI forms large ions identified as common peptide fragments bound to either Fmoc or the surface linker. Electronic structure calculations indicate the Fmoc label is behaving as an ionization tag for the entire peptide, lowering the ionization potential of the complex below the 7.87-eV photon energy. This method should allow detection of many molecular species covalently or electrostatically bound to surfaces.     

Evaluating chiral separation interactions by use of diastereomeric polymeric dipeptide surfactants.

Poly sodium N-undecyl leucine-leucine (poly SULL) is used as a diagnostic tool to investigate chiral molecular interactions via electrokinetic chromatography (EKC). Poly SULL has two chiral centers which are defined by two asymmetric carbons. Each chiral center of poly SULL can have two possible configurations (D or L). Consequently, four different optical configurations are possible within the surfactant molecule (L-L, D-D, L-D, and D-L). In this study, five chiral analytes of various charge states and hydrophobicities were used to investigate the role of electrostatic interactions and hydrophobicity on chiral recognition with polymeric dipeptide surfactants. These studies lead to a proposed hypothesis for interaction of the analytes with dipeptide surfactants. The hypothesis was tested and the contribution of the double chiral centers to this interaction was evaluated by use of two dipeptide surfactants in which one chiral amino acid is replaced by an achiral amino acid glycine, i.e., poly sodium N-undecyl L-leucine-glycine (poly L-SULG) and poly sodium N-undecyl L-glycine-leucine (poly L-SUGL). The results reported here provide new insights into the mechanism for chiral recognition of select chiral analytes by use of polymeric chiral surfactants.     

3D cell growth and proliferation on a RGD functionalized nanofibrillar hydrogel based on a conformationally restricted residue containing dipeptide

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels incorporating a compendium of bioactive molecules can allow efficient proliferation and differentiation of cells and can thus act as successful tissue engineering scaffolds. Self-assembled peptide-based hydrogels can be worthy candidates for such applications as peptides are biocompatible, biodegradable and can be easily functionalized with desired moieties. Here, we report 3D growth and proliferation of mammalian cells (HeLa and L929) on a dipeptide hydrogel chemically functionalized with a pentapeptide containing Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif. The method of functionalization is simple, direct and can be adapted to other functional moieties as well. The functionalized gel was noncytotoxic, exhibited enhanced cell growth promoting properties, and promoted 3D growth and proliferation of cells for almost 2 weeks, with simultaneous preservation of their metabolic activities. The presence of effective cell growth supporting properties in a simple and easy to functionalize dipeptide hydrogel is unique and makes it a promising candidate for tissue engineering and cell biological applications.     

Black Phosphorus Nanosheets Passivation Using a Tripeptide

In the past several years, 2D black phosphorus (BP) has captured the research community's interest because of its unique electronic, photonic, and mechanical properties. However, the intrinsic instability of BP limits its preservation and practical application. Despite kinds of BP passivation strategies being well‐documented, the use of metal ligand coordination or polymer modification may have potential long‐term detrimental effects on human bodies. Here, a tailored tripeptide Fmoc‐Lys‐Lys‐Phe (Fmoc‐KKF) is synthesized for surface modification of BP nanosheets. Compared with bare BP with rapid degradation, the BP@FKK complex exhibits excellent stability, thereby significantly increasing the life span. Significantly, the BP@FKK shows favorable cell compatibility and enhanced cellular uptake compared to the bare BP.     

Endoplasmic Reticulum–Targeted Fluorescent Nanodot with Large Stokes Shift for Vesicular Transport Monitoring and Long‐Term Bioimaging

Herein, a highly stable aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) fluorescent nanodot assembled by an amphiphilic quinoxalinone derivative‐peptide conjugate, namely Quino‐1‐Fmoc‐RACR (also termed as Q1‐PEP), which exhibits large Stokes shift and an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐targeting capacity for bioimaging is reported. It is found that the resulting nanodot can effectively enter the ER with high fluorescent emission. As the ER is mainly involved in the transport of synthesized proteins in vesicles to the Golgi or lysosomes, the Q1‐PEP nanodot with ER‐targeting capacity can be used to monitor vesicular transport inside the cells. Compared to conventional fluorescent dyes with small Stokes shifts, the self‐assembled fluorescent nanodot shows superior resistance to photobleaching and aggregation‐induced fluorescence quenching, and elimination of the spectra overlap with autofluorescence of biosubstrate owning to their AIE‐active and red fluorescence emission characteristics. All these optical properties make the fluorescent nanodot suitable for noninvasive and long‐term imaging both in vitro and in vivo.     

Fabrication of Micropatterned Dipeptide Hydrogels by Acoustic Trapping of Stimulus‐Responsive Coacervate Droplets

Acoustic standing waves offer an excellent opportunity to trap and spatially manipulate colloidal objects. This noncontact technique is used for the in situ formation and patterning in aqueous solution of 1D or 2D arrays of pH‐responsive coacervate microdroplets comprising poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride and the dipeptide N‐fluorenyl‐9‐methoxy‐carbonyl‐D‐alanine‐D‐alanine. Decreasing the pH of the preformed droplet arrays results in dipeptide nanofilament self‐assembly and subsequent formation of a micropatterned supramolecular hydrogel that can be removed as a self‐supporting monolith. Guest molecules such as molecular dyes, proteins, and oligonucleotides are sequestered specifically within the coacervate droplets during acoustic processing to produce micropatterned hydrogels containing spatially organized functional components. Using this strategy, the site‐specific isolation of multiple enzymes to drive a catalytic cascade within the micropatterned hydrogel films is exploited.     

Trace Water as Prominent Factor to Induce Peptide Self‐Assembly: Dynamic Evolution and Governing Interactions in Ionic Liquids

The interaction between water and biomolecules including peptides is of critical importance for forming high‐level architectures and triggering life's functions. However, the bulk aqueous environment has limitations in detecting the kinetics and mechanisms of peptide self‐assembly, especially relating to interactions of trace water. With ionic liquids (ILs) as a nonconventional medium, herein, it is discovered that trace amounts of water play a decisive role in triggering self‐assembly of a biologically derived dipeptide. ILs provide a suitable nonaqueous environment, enabling us to mediate water content and follow the dynamic evolution of peptide self‐assembly. The trace water is found to be involved in the assembly process of dipeptide, especially leading to the formation of stable noncovalent dipeptide oligomers in the early stage of nucleation, as evident by both experimental studies and theoretical simulations. The thermodynamics of the growth process is mainly governed by a synergistic effect of hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonds. Each step of assembly presents a different trend in thermodynamic energy. The dynamic evolution of assembly process can be efficiently mediated by changing trace water content. The decisive role of trace water in triggering and mediating self‐assembly of biomolecules provides a new perspective in understanding supramolecular chemistry and molecular self‐organization in biology.     

Tunable morphology from 2D to 3D in the formation of hierarchical architectures from a self-assembling dipeptide: thermal-induced morphological transition to 1D nanostructures

Construction of complex three-dimensional (3D) architectures through hierarchical self-assembly of peptide molecules has become an attractive approach of fabricating multifunctional advanced materials due to their various potential applications in bionanotechnology. This paper describes the tunable formation of flower-like 3D hierarchical architectures of intricate morphology from a simple self-assembling dipeptide phenylalanine–tyrosine with a facile preparative method by applying a range of voltages through a drop of peptide solution. The fine-tuning of voltages and their application time enable to produce morphological changes of the microstructures from 2D to 3D and also control their formation. The morphology has been characterized by the gradual change in the height-to-diameter ratio of the microstructures with change in the applied voltages. Moreover, these microstructures show significant thermal stability over a wide range of temperatures, whereas adequately high temperature promotes the morphological transformation of the microstructures into different types of ultrathin 1D nanostructures such as nanowires, nanofibrils, etc. Furthermore, we have suggested a possible growth model for the fabrication of unique hierarchical architectures through diffusion-limited aggregation mechanism.     

Exploiting enzymatic (reversed) hydrolysis in directed self-assembly of peptide nanostructures

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions can be exploited to control molecular self-assembly under physiological conditions by converting nonassembling precursors into self-assembly building blocks. Two complementary approaches based on aromatic short-peptide derivatives that form molecular hydrogels are demonstrated. Firstly, it is shown that esterase-directed self assembly via hydrolysis of hydrophobic N-(fluorenyl-9-methoxycarbonyl) (Fmoc)-peptide methyl esters give rise to formation of transparent hydrogels composed of defined peptide nanotubes. The internal and external diameters of these tubes are highly tunable, depending on the amino acid composition and chain length of the building blocks. Secondly, protease-directed self-assembly of Fmoc-peptide esters is achieved via amide-bond formation (reversed hydrolysis) for combinations of Fmoc-threonine and leucine/phenylalanine methyl esters, producing fibrous hydrogels. Upon treatment with an esterase, these systems revert back to solution, thus providing a two-stage solution-gel-solution transition.     

Preparation, characterization of cellulose-grafted with calix[4]arene polymers for the adsorption of heavy metals and dichromate anions

In this paper, the adsorbents were prepared from cellulose-grafted with calix[4]arene polymers (CGC[4]P-1 and CGC[4]P-2) and their sorption properties studied. The polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. They were then used to evaluate the sorption properties of some heavy metal cations (Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+) and Pb(2+)) and dichromate anions (Cr(2)O(7)(2-)/HCr(2)O(7)(-)). Results showed that CGC[4]P-2 was a good sorbent for heavy metal cations while CGC[4]P-1 was ineffective. In the studies of dichromate anion sorption, it was observed that CGC[4]P-2 was a more highly effective sorbent at pH 1.5 than was CGC[4]P-1.     

Superlow thermal conductivity 3D carbon nanotube network for thermoelectric applications

Electrical and thermal transportation properties of a novel structured 3D CNT network have been systematically investigated. The 3D CNT net work maintains extremely low thermal conductivity of only 0.035 W/(m K) in standard atmosphere at room temperature, which is among the lowest compared with other reported CNT macrostructures. Its electrical transportation could be adjusted through a convenient gas-fuming doping process. By potassium (K) doping, the original p-type CNT network converted to n-type, whereas iodine (I(2)) doping enhanced its electrical conductivity. The self-sustainable homogeneous network structure of as-fabricated 3D CNT network made it a promising candidate as the template for polymer composition. By in situ nanoscaled composition of 3D CNT network with polyaniline (PANI), the thermoelectric performance of PANI was significantly improved, while the self-sustainable and flexible structure of the 3D CNT network has been retained. It is hoped that as-fabricated 3D CNT network will contribute to the development of low-cost organic thermoelectric area.     

Biological and chemical decoration of peptide nanostructures via biotin-avidin interactions

Novel architectures with nanometric dimensions hold an immense promise as building blocks for future nanotechnological applications. Biological nanostructures are of special interest due to their biocompatibility and because they allow the utilization of biochemical recognition interfaces. The ability to decorate bio-nanostructures with functional groups is highly important in order to utilize them in several applications including ultrasensitive sensors, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. Peptide-based nanostructures have a distinct advantage over other assemblies because they can be easily modified with chemical and biological elements. Aromatic dipeptide nanotubes (ADNT) are formed by the self-assembly of a very simple building block, the diphenylalanine peptide. These nanotubes have remarkable chemical and mechanical properties and their utilization in various applications has previously been demonstrated. Here we report on the chemical modification of ADNT with biotin moieties, in order to enable the selective decoration of the tubes with avidin-labeled species. First, ADNT were prepared in aqueous solution by self-assembly of the dipeptide building blocks. Next, they were modified using N-hydroxysuccinimido-biotin. The level of biotinylation was assessed by the interaction of the tubes with gold-labeled strepavidin and ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy. The ability of the modified assemblies to serve as a generic functional platform was demonstrated by avidin-mediated conjugation. Avidin was added as a molecular linker to allow the decoration with biotin-labeled quantum dots. The efficient decoration was again probed by the imaging of the modified tubes using laser confocal microscopy. Taken together, we demonstrated the ability to decorate ADNT using a generic avidin-biotin adaptor. This decoration should lead to the integration and utilization of the tubes in various applications.     

Optical head employing a concentric-circular focusing grating coupler

An optical head employing a concentric-circular grating coupler (CGC) and a concentric-circular focusing grating coupler (CFGC) is proposed, and its operating principle and characteristics are reported. Satisfaction with a prerequisite for the head, i.e., the removal of aberrations caused by deviations in wavelength and the effective index, is theoretically achieved by application of the concept of optimization of an annular aperture. With CGC and CFGC fabricated by an electron-beam-writing method, we experimentally confirmed its fundamental characteristics of light input, waveguiding, output, and convergence, with an elliptical focusing spot converging at half-intensity widths of 1.8 and 4.0μm.     

Autonomous Ultrafast Self‐Healing Hydrogels by pH‐Responsive Functional Nanofiber Gelators as Cell Matrices

The synthesis of hybrid hydrogels by pH‐controlled structural transition with exceptional rheological properties as cellular matrix is reported. “Depsi” peptide sequences are grafted onto a polypeptide backbone that undergo a pH‐induced intramolecular O–N–acyl migration at physiological conditions affording peptide nanofibers (PNFs) as supramolecular gelators. The polypeptide–PNF hydrogels are mechanically remarkably robust. They reveal exciting thixotropic behavior with immediate in situ recovery after exposure to various high strains over long periods and self‐repair of defects by instantaneous reassembly. High cytocompatibility, convenient functionalization by coassembly, and controlled enzymatic degradation but stability in 2D and 3D cell culture as demonstrated by the encapsulation of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells and neuronal cells open many attractive opportunities for 3D tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.     

Conversion efficiency versus sensitizer for electrospun TiO(2) nanorod electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

The electrochemical and optical properties of three indoline dyes, namely C(35)H(28)N(2)O(2) (D131), C(37)H(30)N(2)O(3)S(2) (D102), and C(42)H(35)N(3)O(4)S(3) (D149), were studied and compared with that of the N3 dye. D131 has the largest bandgap and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies compared to the other dyes. A size-dependent variation in the absorptivity of the indoline dyes was observed-the absorptivity increased with increase in the molecular size. The dyes were anchored onto TiO(2) nanorods. The TiO(2) nanorods were obtained by electrospinning a polymeric solution containing titanium isopropoxide and polyvinylpyrrolidone and subsequent sintering of the as-spun composite fibers. Absorption spectral measurements of the dye-anchored TiO(2) showed blue shifts in the excitonic transition of the indoline dyes, the magnitude of which increased with decrease in the molecular size. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using the indoline dyes, TiO(2) nanorods, and iodide/triiodide electrolyte. The D131 dye showed comparable energy conversion efficiency (η) to that of the N3 dye. A systematic change in the short circuit current density (J(SC)) and η of the indoline DSSCs was observed. The observed variation in J(C) is most likely originated from the difference in the electronic coupling strengths between the dye and the TiO(2).     

Efficient Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells Enabled by a Novel Wide Bandgap Small Molecular Acceptor

A wide bandgap small molecular acceptor, SFBRCN, containing a 3D spirobifluorene core flaked with a 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BT) and end‐capped with highly electron‐deficient (3‐ethylhexyl‐4‐oxothiazolidine‐2‐yl)dimalononitrile (RCN) units, has been successfully synthesized as a small molecular acceptor (SMA) for nonfullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). This SMA exhibits a relatively wide optical bandgap of 2.03 eV, which provides a complementary absorption to commonly used low bandgap donor polymers, such as PTB7‐Th. The strong electron‐deficient BT and RCN units afford SFBRCN with a low‐lying LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) level, while the 3D structured spirobifluorene core can effectively suppress the self‐aggregation tendency of the SMA, thus yielding a polymer:SMA blend with reasonably small domain size. As the results of such molecular design, SFBRCN enables nonfullerene PSCs with a high efficiency of 10.26%, which is the highest performance reported to date for a large bandgap nonfullerene SMA.     

Synthesis,characterization, biodegradability and biocompatibility of a temperature-sensitive PBLA-PEG-PBLA hydrogel as protein delivery system with low critical gelation concentration

Temperature-sensitive hydrogels were designed using a series of A-B-A triblock copolymers consisting of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) with different molecular weights as the hydrophilic block B and poly (β-butyrolactone-co-lactic acid)(PBLA) with varying block lengths and composition as the hydrophobic block A. The triblock copolymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of β-BL and LA in bulk using PEG as an initiator and Sn(Oct)₂ as the catalyst. Their chemical structure and molecular characteristics were determined by NMR, GPC and DSC, and the relationship between structure and phase behaviors in aqueous solutions was investigated as well. It was found that the phase behaviors in aqueous solutions including critical micelle concentration (CMC), sol-gel-sedimentation phase transition temperature, gel window width and critical gelation concentration (CGC) are largely dependent on the molecular weight and block length ratio of PEG/PBLA. Most importantly, they show a very low CGC ranging from 4 to 8?wt% because of the introduction of β-BL. Furthermore, the biodegradability and biocompatibility of the hydrogels were evaluated. Finally, lysozyme as a model protein was used to evaluate the ability to deliver protein drugs in a sustained release manner and biologically active form. All results demonstrated that the temperature-sensitive in situ forming hydrogel has a promising potential as sustained delivery system for protein drugs.     

Self-Assembled Peptide-Based Nanodrugs: Molecular Design,Synthesis, Functionalization,and Targeted Tumor Bioimaging and Biotherapy

Functional nanomaterials as nanodrugs based on the self-assembly of inorganics, polymers, and biomolecules have showed wide applications in biomedicine and tissue engineering. Ascribing to the unique biological, chemical, and physical properties of peptide molecules, peptide is used as an excellent precursor material for the synthesis of functional nanodrugs for highly effective cancer therapy. Herein, recent progress on the design, synthesis, functional regulation, and cancer bioimaging and biotherapy of peptide-based nanodrugs is summarized. For this aim, first molecular design and controllable synthesis of peptide nanodrugs with 0D to 3D structures are presented, and then the functional customization strategies for peptide nanodrugs are presented. Then, the applications of peptide-based nanodrugs in bioimaging, chemotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are demonstrated and discussed in detail. Furthermore, peptide-based drugs in preclinical, clinical trials, and approved are briefly described. Finally, the challenges and potential solutions are pointed out on addressing the questions of this promising research topic. This comprehensive review can guide the motif design and functional regulation of peptide nanomaterials for facile synthesis of nanodrugs, and further promote their practical applications for diagnostics and therapy of diseases.     

Traceless capping agent for peptide sequencing by partial edman degradation and mass spectrometry

An improved method for the rapid sequence determination of biologically active peptides selected from one-bead-one-peptide combinatorial libraries has been developed. In this method, beads carrying unique peptide sequences were subjected to multiple cycles of partial Edman degradation (PED) by the treatment with a 15-30:1 mixture of phenyl isothiocyanate and N-(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyloxy)succinimide (Fmoc-OSU), to generate a series of sequence-specific truncation products (a peptide ladder) for each resin-bound peptide. Following PED, the Fmoc group was removed from the N-terminus and any reacted side chains by piperidine treatment. The sequence of the full-length peptide on each bead was then determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. The use of Fmoc-OSU as a traceless capping agent resulted in cleaner MS spectra and improved reliability for sequence assignment. This rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive sequencing method should further expand the utility of combinatorial peptide libraries in biomedical research.     

Nucleobase appended viologens: Building blocks for new optoelectronic materials

We describe here the fabrication, characterization and possible applications of a new type of optical material – consisting of 4,4′-bipyridinium core (“viologen”) and nucleobases i.e. adenine and/or thymine made by H-bonding. The viologen–nucleobase derivatives were used to construct supramolecular structures in a “biomimetic way” with complementary oligonucleotides (ssDNA) and peptide nucleic acids (ssPNA) as templates. The new nanostructured materials are expected to exhibit enhanced optical and optoelectronic properties with application in the field of supramolecular electronics. Such viologen derivatives could be significant in the design of new 2D and 3D materials with potentially application in optoelectronics, molecular electronics or sensoric.