Stereoregularity Drives Precipitation in Polyelectrolyte Complex Formation

ORAL

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of stereoregularity on the formation of polypeptide-based complex formation and assembly into micelles, hydrogels and ordered phases. We demonstrate that fluid complex coacervate formation (rather than solid complex precipitation) between oppositely charged polypeptides requires at least one racemic partner in order to disrupt backbone hydrogen bonding networks and prevent the hydrophobic collapse of the polymers into compact, fibrillar secondary structures. Computer simulations bear this out and enable visualization of the molecular structure of the complexes. The ability to choose between conditions of fluid phase formation and solid phase formation is a useful tool in developing new self-assembled materials based on polyelectrolyte complex formation.

*Support from the Argonne National Laboratory Laboratory Research and Development Program (2011-217) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors

  • Matthew Tirrell

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Sarah Perry

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Lorraine Leon

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Matthew Kade

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Dimitris Priftis

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Katie Black

    • University of California, Berkeley

  • Kyle Hoffman

    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Jonathan Whitmer

    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Jian Qin

    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • University of Chicago

  • Juan J. de Pablo

    • Inistitute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, U. Chicago
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago
    • University of Chicago
    • The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory
    • Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago