Intramolecular interactions of a phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair in the formation of supramolecular nanofibers and hydrogels

A new system for the incorporation of a phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair in the structure of a peptide hydrogelator was developed. The strategy is based on the idea that the integration of an end-capped perfluorophenyl group and a phenylalanine with a phenyl moiety in the side chain forms an intramolecular phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair, which can be used to promote the formation of the supramolecular nanofibers and hydrogels. This work illustrates the importance of structure-hydrogelation relationship and provides new insights into the design of self-assembly nanobiomaterials. Intramolecular binding: The incorporation of a phenyl/perfluorophenyl pair into the structure of a peptide hydrogelator leads to the formation of the supramolecular nanofibers. The quadrupole-dipole- quadrupole (q-d-q) interactions between the aromatic rings facilitate self-assembly. This work illustrates the importance of the structure- hydrogelation relationship and provides new insights into the design of self-assembled nanobiomaterials.