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Nanotube Formation by Hydrophobic Dipeptides
Author(s) -
Görbitz Carl Henrik
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3765(20011203)7:23<5153::aid-chem5153>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - van der waals force , nanotube , supramolecular chemistry , hydrogen bond , molecule , peptide , nanotechnology , self assembly , membrane , chemistry , materials science , crystallography , stereochemistry , carbon nanotube , organic chemistry , biochemistry
A wide range of applications has been suggested for peptide‐based nanotubes, which first attracted considerable interest as model systems for membrane channels and pores. The intriguing and unprecedented observation of nanotube formation by supramolecular self‐assembly of the four dipeptides L ‐Leu‐ L ‐Leu, L ‐Leu‐ L ‐Phe, L ‐Phe‐ L ‐Leu and L ‐Phe‐ L ‐Phe is described here. These simple compounds crystallize with hydrogen‐bonded head‐to‐tail chains in the shape of helices with four to six peptide molecules per turn. The resulting structures have chiral hydrophilic channels with a van der Waals' diameter up to 10 Å.