Affiliation:
1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Abstract
Polypeptoids are a family of synthetic peptidomimetic polymers featuring N-substituted polyglycine backbones with large chemical and structural diversity. Their synthetic accessibility, tunable property/functionality, and biological relevance make polypeptoids a promising platform for molecular biomimicry and various biotechnological applications. To gain insight into the relationship between the chemical structure, self-assembly behavior, and physicochemical properties of polypeptoids, many efforts have been made using thermal analysis, microscopy, scattering, and spectroscopic techniques. In this review, we summarize recent experimental investigations that have focused on the hierarchical self-assembly and phase behavior of polypeptoids in bulk, thin film, and solution states, highlighting the use of advanced characterization tools such as in situ microscopy and scattering techniques. These methods enable researchers to unravel multiscale structural features and assembly processes of polypeptoids over a wide range of length and time scales, thereby providing new insights into the structure–property relationship of these protein-mimetic materials.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Foundation of Institute for Deep Underground Science and Engineering
State Key Laboratory for GeoMechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing
Subject
General Materials Science