α-Helix and Coiled-Coil Peptide Nanomaterials

Abstract

Good synthetic access to peptide materials with controllable morphology holds great promise for medical applications, but also for the development of biomimetic devices. α-Helical peptides can be designed to self-assemble into biomimetic materials with highly diverse morphologies and that with precise control at the molecular level. Most α-helical peptide material designs to date have been derived from the α-helical coiled coil, as the sequence-structure relationships are well understood and designs for most of the described coiled-coil assemblies are readily available. In general, α-helical peptide materials can be fibrous, tubular, or cage-like, or can assemble into geometric figures or highly ordered crystalline arrays. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of research activities on materials constructed from α-helical peptides. In addition to coiled-coil materials, which account for the majority of reported designs, peptide materials made from other α-helical building blocks are also included. We discuss the design strategies that have been used to produce the various forms of materials and briefly outline intended applications where applicable.

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