title: In situ real-time imaging of self-sorted supramolecular nanofibres.
abstract: Self-sorted supramolecular nanofibres-a multicomponent system that consists of several types of fibre, each composed of distinct building units-play a crucial role in complex, well-organized systems with sophisticated functions, such as living cells. Designing and controlling self-sorting events in synthetic materials and understanding their structures and dynamics in detail are important elements in developing functional artificial systems. Here, we describe the in situ real-time imaging of self-sorted supramolecular nanofibre hydrogels consisting of a peptide gelator and an amphiphilic phosphate. The use of appropriate fluorescent probes enabled the visualization of self-sorted fibres entangled in two and three dimensions through confocal laser scanning microscopy and super-resolution imaging, with 80 nm resolution. In situ time-lapse imaging showed that the two types of fibre have different formation rates and that their respective physicochemical properties remain intact in the gel. Moreover, we directly visualized stochastic non-synchronous fibre formation and observed a cooperative mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onogi
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shigemitsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanida
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.|Department of Biomolecular Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.|United Graduate School of Drug Discovery and Medical Information Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.|Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 5 Sanbancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075, Japan.
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hamachi