Hydrophobic Aib/Ala peptides solubilize in water through formation of supramolecular assemblies

We recently reported that a series of Aib/Ala-containing peptides, lacking any charge or polar group, are soluble in water. In this work, we present evidence of the formation of self-assembled structures in water, likewise responsible for the unexpected solubility properties. These peptide aggregates are spherical, with diameters up to 100 nm. They can also incorporate other molecular structures of relevant size, such as Au nanoparticles. More experiments are needed to understand the precise nature of these supramolecular structures. However, such systems may widen the number of applications currently accessible to self-assembled aggregates in the fields of biomedicine and materials science.