Tunable Self-Assembled Peptide Structure: A Novel Approach to Design Dual-Use Biological Agents

Abstract

Micro/nanostructures based naturally occurring building blocks have attracted much attention as potential materials in the field of bio-nanotechnology. In this context, peptides are ideal naturally occurring materials for tissue regeneration, scaffolding, and drug delivery. Herein we report an initial study of fabrication of spherical and tubular structures by self-assembly process using butoxy carbonyl (Boc)-diphenylalanine as a naturally occurring peptides under different solvent conditions in the presence and absence of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIONs) core. The novel nanocomposites have been characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Magnetic Hyperthermia under Alternating Magnetic Field (AMF).