Self-Assembled Robust Dipeptide Nanotubes and Fabrication of Dipeptide-Capped Gold Nanoparticles on the Surface of these Nanotubes

Three water-soluble dipeptides containing N-terminally located beta-alanine residue and C-terminally located alpha-amino acid residues (beta-Ala-L-Xaa, Xaa = Val/Ile/Phe) form robust crystalline nanotubes. These dipeptide nanotubes contain a common motif, a hybrid of beta,alpha-amino acids, which are stable against heat up to 80 degrees C, a wide range of pH (2-10), and proteolytic degradation. These robust crystalline dipeptide nanotubes are used as a template for fabricating dipeptide-capped gold nanoparticles on their outer surfaces. This is an easy way to develop nanotube/nanoparticle hybrid materials under mild conditions.