Microstructure manipulation and guest release from cation responsive peptide microspheres

Abstract

This communication presents a strategic design of a thiolated C₃-symmetric dihistidine conjugate and its self-assembly to yield nanospheres. Electrostatic interactions with ATP, coupled with the possibility of disulfide bond formation by thiolated termini of the conjugate, facilitate self-assembly resulting in the formation of doughnut shaped microspheres. Finally, cations present in biological environments, such as Mg(II) ions, could be used to disaggregate microspheres to release guest molecules.