www.nanopicoftheday.org
June 3, 2004
Source: Shuguang Zhang
References:
Description:
Several surfactant-like peptides undergo self-assembly
to form nanotubes and nanovesicles having an average diameter of 30-50
nm with a helical twist. The peptide monomer contains 7-8 residues
and has a hydrophilic head composed of aspartic acid and a tail
of hydrophobic amino acids such as alanine, valine, or leucine. The
length of each peptide is
2
nm, similar to that of biological phospholipids. Visualization with
transmission electron microscopy of quick-freeze/deep-etch sample
preparation revealed a network of open-ended nanotubes and some
vesicles. Studies of peptide surfactant molecules have
significant implications in the design of nonlipid biological
surfactants and the understanding of the complexity and dynamics of
the self-assembly processes. Surfactants are what allow soap to
"clean" a material, by breaking the surface tension.
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