Effect of Peptide Sequences on Supramolecular Interactions of Naphthaleneimide/Tripeptide Conjugates

In this study, we reported a significant difference in the supramolecular hydrogelation of newly discovered NI-GFF (NI-Gly-L-Phe-L-Phe) and NI-FFG (NI-L-Phe-L-Phe-Gly) on the basis of their phase diagrams. With a small difference in the peptide chain between NI-GFF and NI-FFG, we observed a significant difference in their self-assembly properties; NI-GFF formed a stable gel at neutral pH, whereas NI-FFG did not, under the same conditions. From spectroscopic and computational studies, intermolecular pi-pi interactions and extended hydrogen bonding interactions might reinforce the intermolecular interactions of NI-GFF, which may facilitate the formation of the self-assembled nanostructures and the hydrogel. In addition, the aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active NI-GFF reveals relatively good biocompatibility compared with that of NI-FFG for two commonly used cell lines, suggesting that it is a promising candidate for use as a supramolecular material in biomedical applications. Our results highlight the importance of tripeptide sequences in a self-assembling hydrogel system.