Hydrophobized Short Peptide Amphiphile Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles as Antibacterial Biomaterials.

In search of new antibacterial agents and therapeutic strategies, during this antibiotic resistance crises, we developed a facile and effective antibacterial nanomaterial by using di‐phenylalanine based hydrophobized short peptide amphiphile (HsPA) and AuNPs. Such peptide amphiphile functionalised nanoparticles can provide a universal platform for medicinal applications owing to their unique physicochemical properties. The nanostructures of sPA and HsPA‐AuNPs hybrids were confirmed by spectroscopic and microscopy techniques. The antibacterial activity of these nanostructures were tested against clinically relevant bacteria such as Escherichia coli and found satisfactory. The HsPA acted as a model drug (Au(III) and AuNPs) delivery agent. Therefore such stimuli responsive, HsPA‐AuNPs system may open new therapeutic paradigms for emerging the theranostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]