Tunable mechanics of peptide nanofiber gels
The mechanical properties of self-assembled fibrillar networks are influenced by the specific intermolecular interactions that modulate fiber entanglements. We investigate how changing these interactions influences the mechanics of self-assembled nanofiber gels composed of peptide amphiphile (PA) mo...
Veröffentlicht in: | Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids. - 1992. - 26(2010), 5 vom: 02. März, Seite 3641-7 |
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1. Verfasser: | |
Weitere Verfasser: | , , |
Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
Sprache: | English |
Veröffentlicht: |
2010
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Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids |
Schlagworte: | Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Hydrogels Peptides Calcium Chloride M4I0D6VV5M Hydrochloric Acid QTT17582CB |
Zusammenfassung: | The mechanical properties of self-assembled fibrillar networks are influenced by the specific intermolecular interactions that modulate fiber entanglements. We investigate how changing these interactions influences the mechanics of self-assembled nanofiber gels composed of peptide amphiphile (PA) molecules. PAs developed in our laboratory self-assemble into gels of nanofibers after neutralization or salt-mediated screening of the charged residues in their peptide segment. We report here on the gelation, stiffness, and response to deformation of gels formed from a negatively charged PA and HCl or CaCl(2). Scanning electron microscopy of these gels demonstrates a similar morphology, whereas the oscillatory rheological measurements indicate that the calcium-mediated ionic bridges in CaCl(2)-PA gels form stronger intra- and interfiber cross-links than the hydrogen bonds formed by the protonated carboxylic acid residues in HCl-PA gels. As a result, CaCl(2)-PA gels can withstand higher strains than HCl-PA gels. After exposure to a series of strain sweeps with increasing strain amplitude HCl- and CaCl(2)-PA gels both recover 42% of their original stiffness. In contrast, after sustained deformation at 100% strain, HCl-PA gels recover nearly 90% of their original stiffness after 10 min, while the CaCl(2)-PA gels only recover 35%. This result suggests that the hydrogen bonds formed by the protonated acids in the HCl-PA gels allow the gel to relax quickly to its initial state, while the strong calcium cross-links in the CaCl(2)-PA gels lock in the deformed structure and inhibit the gel's ability to recover. We also show that the rheological scaling behaviors of HCl- and CaCl(2)-PA gels are consistent with that of uncross- and cross-linked semiflexible biopolymer networks, respectively. The ability to modify how self-assembled fibrillar networks respond to deformations is important in developing self-assembled gels that can resist and recover from the large deformations that these gels encounter while serving as synthetic cell scaffolds in vivo |
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Beschreibung: | Date Completed 28.05.2010 Date Revised 21.11.2013 published: Print Citation Status MEDLINE |
ISSN: | 1520-5827 |
DOI: | 10.1021/la9030969 |