title: Energy landscapes and functions of supramolecular systems.
abstract: By means of two supramolecular systems--peptide amphiphiles engaged in hydrogen-bonded β-sheets, and chromophore amphiphiles driven to assemble by π-orbital overlaps--we show that the minima in the energy landscapes of supramolecular systems are defined by electrostatic repulsion and the ability of the dominant attractive forces to trap molecules in thermodynamically unfavourable configurations. These competing interactions can be selectively switched on and off, with the order of doing so determining the position of the final product in the energy landscape. Within the same energy landscape, the peptide-amphiphile system forms a thermodynamically favoured product characterized by long bundled fibres that promote biological cell adhesion and survival, and a metastable product characterized by short monodisperse fibres that interfere with adhesion and can lead to cell death. Our findings suggest that, in supramolecular systems, functions and energy landscapes are linked, superseding the more traditional connection between molecular design and function.
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Faifan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tantakitti
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.|Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Job
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boekhoven
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Roman V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Kazantsev
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Jiahe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zandi
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Julia H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ortony
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Newcomb
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.|Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Liam C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0804-1168
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Gajendra S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Shekhawat
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Physics &Astronomy, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Monica Olvera
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: de la Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.affiliation: Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, 303 East Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.|Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Stupp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D051379:Mice; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D055672:Static Electricity; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides