Modular Ligation of Thioamide Functional Peptides onto Solid Cellulose Substrates

Hetero Diels-Alder (HDA) cycloaddition as an effective modular conjugation approach is employed to graft thioamide endfunctional oligopeptides onto solid cyclopentadienyl (Cp) functional cellulose substrates generating cellulose-peptide hybrid materials. The highly reactive Cp moieties serve as diene functionality in the consecutive HDA reaction on the biosubstrate surface. Oligopeptides (i.e., the model peptide Gly-Gly-Arg-Phe-Pro-Trp-Trp-Gly and the antimicrobial peptide tritrpticin) are functionalized at their N-termini employing strongly electron deficient thiocarbonyl thio compounds resulting in biomacromolecules bearing a thioamide endgroup. The dienophile- functional peptides readily undergo HDA reactions at ambient temperature and under mild conditions in solution with synthetic polymers as well as on solid (bio)substrates. An in-depth investigation is provided of the influence of the temperature, the Lewis acid catalysis and the side group exchange of thioamide functional oligopeptides reacting with Cp terminated poly(methyl methacrylate) (Mn = 2100 g.mol-1, PDI = 1.1) in homogenous solution as well as Cp functionalized cellulose in a heterogeneous system. To assess the success of the grafting reaction, the soluble samples were subjected to characterization methods such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and SEC-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SEC-ESI-MS). The heterogeneous grafting-to reactions were monitored using high resolution attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared microscopy (HR-FTIRM) imaging, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and elemental analysis. Evaluation via elemental analysis leads to quantitative peptide cellulose surface loading capacities.