Nanoparticles Functionalized with Bundlemers and Bundlemer Rods

Bundlemers are monodisperse nanoparticles, also known as coiled coils, created by the solution assembly of computationally designed peptides. The peptides are designed to self-assemble into homotetrameric, antiparallel coiled coils and consequently display desired surface functionality. This rare combination of monodispersity and tunability make bundlemers excellent building blocks for more complex nanostructures. Recently, we have used ‘click’ chemistry functionalized bundlemers as macromonomers to create rigid rods, extremely high aspect ratio hybrid covalent-supramolecular polymers with extreme persistence lengths and aspect ratios/diameters similar to single wall carbon nanotubes. By incorporating substrate-binding terminal residues, we can design bundlemers to assemble with preferred orientation on a substrate to produce bundlemer brushes through either a grafting to approach, e.g., coupling bundlemer rods directly to a substrate through functionalized termini, or a grafting from approach, e.g., using a template layer of bundlemers as reaction sites for subsequent bundlemer coupling or assembly. Results surrounding bundlemer rod brushes on SiO₂ substrates, both nanoparticle as well as flat substrates, through DOPA terminated bundlemers will be discussed.