Self-assembly and hydrogel formation ability of Fmoc-dipeptides comprising α-methyl-L-phenylalanine

Various biofunctional hydrogel materials can be fabricated in aqueous media through the self-assembly of peptide derivatives, forming supramolecular nanostructures and their three-dimensional networks. In this study, we describe the self-assembly of new Fmoc-dipeptides comprising alpha-methyl-L-phenylalanine. We found that the position and number of methyl groups introduced onto the alpha carbons of the Fmoc-dipeptides by alpha-methyl-L-phenylalanine have a marked influence on the morphology of the supramolecular nanostructure as well as the hydrogel (network) formation ability.