The Synthesis of Dendritic EDOT-Peptide Conjugates and their Multistimuli-Responsive Self-Assembly into Supramolecular Nanorods and Fibers in Water

We report the synthesis of amphiphilic dendritic EDOT-peptide conjugates and discuss their stimuli-responsive self-assembly into polyanionic nanorods in water. In order to expand the general concept of frustrated growth, whereby attractive supramolecular interactions within the enlarged p-system of the hydrophobic core of a dendritic peptide are hampered by repulsive interactions in the hydrophilic periphery, we show that changes in the pH and ionic strength are both able to independently trigger the self-assembly of the dendritic monomers into supramolecular nanorods and nanofibers. These transitions are analyzed using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, and the resulting supramolecular polymers are characterized by transmission electron microscopy.