Fabrication of Supramolecular n/p-Nanowires via Coassembly of Oppositely Charged Peptide-Chromophore Systems in Aqueous Media

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Khalily M. A., Bakan G., Kucukoz B., Topal A. E., KARATAY A., YAĞLIOĞLU H. G., ...More

ACS NANO, vol.11, no.7, pp.6881-6892, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 11 Issue: 7
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1021/acsnano.7b02025
  • Journal Name: ACS NANO
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.6881-6892
  • Keywords: nanowires, self-assembly, coassembly, supramolecular, peptide chromophore, conductivity, TRANSFER NANOSTRUCTURES, NANOFIBERS, AMPHIPHILES, ASSEMBLIES, FIBERS
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Fabrication of supramolecular electroactive materials at the nanoscale with well-defined size, shape, composition, and organization in aqueous medium is a current challenge. Herein we report construction of supramolecular charge-transfer complex one-dimensional (1D) nanowires consisting of highly ordered mixed-stack pi-electron donor-acceptor (D-A) domains. We synthesized n-type and p-type beta-sheet forming short peptide-chromophore conjugates, which assemble separately into well-ordered nanofibers in aqueous media. These complementary p-type and n-type nanofibers coassemble via hydrogen bonding, charge-transfer complex, and electrostatic interactions to generate highly uniform supramolecular n/p-coassembled 1D nanowires. This molecular design ensures highly ordered arrangement of D-A stacks within n/p-coassembled supramolecular nanowires. The supramolecular n/p-coassembled nanowires were found to be formed by A D-A unit cells having an association constant (K-A) of 5.18 x 10(5) M-1. In addition, electrical measurements revealed that supramolecular n/p-coassembled nanowires are approximately 2400 and 10 times more conductive than individual n-type and p-type nanofibers, respectively. This facile strategy allows fabrication of well-defined supramolecular electroactive nanomaterials in aqueous media, which can find a variety of applications in optoelectronics, photovoltaics, organic chromophore arrays, and bioelectronics.