Directed Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticle Superstructures Using Self-Assembling Peptoids Containing Metal-Bonding N-Heterocyclic Carbenes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40644600.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c02998 and PMC identifier 12333405.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, with strong metal-binding affinity, offer a robust platform for constructing organic-inorganic nanohybrids with high stability and tunable properties. However, achieving precise structural control in a simple manner remains challenging. Here, we report a one-pot synthesis of nanohybrids using self-assembling peptoids functionalized with histidine-2-ylidene, which simultaneously enable peptoid assembly and NHC-metal binding. Histidine-2-ylidene-functionalized peptoids were designed to self-assemble and provide NHC binding sites, while AuNPs served as the inorganic component due to NHCs' strong affinity for gold surfaces. The resulting peptoid-NHC@AuNPs form well-defined vesicles that are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Importantly, the vesicle size and morphology can be tuned via the peptoid sequence or environmental conditions. Further experiments highlight the crucial role of the NHC sites in the formation and stabilization of these nanohybrids. This modular strategy offers a versatile route to fabricating functional NHC-based nanohybrids for potential applications in sensing.