Design and Application of Amino Acid-Derived Aromatic Scaffolds in Supramolecular Covalent and Non-covalent Systems

Abstract

Amino acids represent versatile building blocks for the design of functional supramolecular architectures, combining inherent chirality with a rich palette of non-covalent interactions. In recent years, considerable effort has been devoted to integrating amino acid motifs into π-conjugated aromatic cores such as naphthalene diimides (NDIs), benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides (BTAs) and other synthetically accessible scaffolds. These systems exemplify the power of modular molecular design, where subtle variations in side chains or peptide fragments can precisely tune self-assembly pathways, supramolecular morphology and responsiveness to external stimuli. This feature article reviews the strategies and principles underlying the construction of amino acid-derived supramolecular assemblies, covering both non-covalent and dynamic covalent approaches.