Exploring the self-assembly of cyclic peptides into multidimensional nanostructures

Resumo

Molecular self-assembly is a fundamental process in supramolecular chemistry where individual molecules spontaneously organize into well-defined structures. Nature is a perfect example of the potential of self-assembly to create complex architectures not only with remarkable precision in shape and size, but also in functionality. This natural sophistication has inspired scientists to use synthetic biomolecules for the fabrication of non-canonical structures with properties and functions not evolved naturally. Despite the great advancement in this field, the design of monomers with control in hierarchical self-assembly across different dimensions remains a challenging task. In this doctoral thesis, cyclic peptides have been explored as suitable monomers to further exploit this bottom-up approach in creating diverse multidimensional nanostructures. Throughout this manuscript, it is possible to find several design principles to control the hierarchical stages of propagation along different directions and thus contribute to the lack of understanding of design at the molecular level.