Peptide Hydrogels Assembled from Nonionic Alkyl-polypeptideAmphiphiles Prepared by Ring-Opening Polymerization.

Three alkyl-polypeptide (AP) amphiphileswere prepared using ring-openingpolymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydride.The polypeptide segment was composed of diethylene-glycol-monomethyl-ether-functionalizedpoly-l-glutamate (poly-l-EG2Glu). TheseAP amphiphiles can spontaneously self-assemble into transparent hydrogelsin water. These hydrogels showed shear thinning properties, and theirstrength can be modulated by hydrophobic alkyl tails. CryoTEM andAFM characterizations suggested that these hydrogels were formed bynanoribbons arising from intermolecular interactions between nonionicpoly-l-EG2Glu segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]