Supramolecular Architectures Self-assembled from Asymmetrical Hetero Cyclopeptides

In this study, two asymmetrical cyclopeptides (CP1 and CP2) were designed and synthesized. The self-assembly behaviors of the asymmetrical cyclopeptides at varying pHs were investigated in terms of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichroism (CD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. It was found that the self-assembly of CP1 resulted in the formation of nanofibers with alpha-helix conformation, while CP2 self-assembled into well-ordered nanorods with anti-parallel beta-sheet conformation. The strategy demonstrated here presents great potential for preparation of well-defined nanostructures via rationally designing the molecular structures of cyclopeptides.