title: Surface-Directed Assembly of Sequence-Defined Synthetic Polymers into Networks of Hexagonally Patterned Nanoribbons with Controlled Functionalities.
abstract: The exquisite self-assembly of proteins and peptides in nature into highly ordered functional materials has inspired innovative approaches to the design and synthesis of biomimetic materials. While sequence-defined polymers hold great promise to mimic proteins and peptides for functions, controlled assembly of them on surfaces still remains underdeveloped. Here, we report the assembly of 12-mer peptoids containing alternating acidic and aromatic monomers into networks of hexagonally patterned nanoribbons on mica surfaces. Ca(2+)-carboxylate coordination creates peptoid-peptoid and peptoid-mica interactions that control self-assembly. In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that peptoids first assemble into discrete nanoparticles; these particles then transform into hexagonally patterned nanoribbons on mica surfaces. AFM-based dynamic force spectroscopy studies show that peptoid-mica interactions are much stronger than peptoid-peptoid interactions, illuminating the driving forces for mica-directed peptoid assembly. We further demonstrate the display of functional domains at the N-terminus of assembling peptoids to produce extended networks with similar hierarchical structures. This research demonstrates that surface-directed peptoid assembly can be used as a robust platform to develop biomimetic coating materials for applications.
authors.affiliation: Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.|Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Chun-Long
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
authors.forename: Ronald N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Zuckermann
authors.affiliation: Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Richland, Washington 99352, United States.|Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.|Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and of Chemistry, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington 98195, United States.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: DeYoreo
keywords: dynamic force spectroscopy; in situ AFM; sequence-defined polymer; surface coating; surface-directed assembly