Controlling self-assembly of anisotropic, rod-like polypeptides on solid surfaces

Advances in engineering of interfaces using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have focused on molecules with increased function and design. With an aim to establish principles that guide the assembly of new materials on surfaces and develop relationships between the molecular organization of the monolayers and their interfacial properties, we have focused on the assembly of rod-like polypeptides such as poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) on solid surfaces. These α-helical materials possess a rigid dipole moment parallel to their rod axis and their assembly at interfaces is relevant to applications in piezoelectric devices, optical data storage, biological mimicry, and nonlinear optics. Our work has centered on (1) novel syntheses and characterization of polypeptides that can spontaneously assemble onto model surfaces, (2) molecular design of hinged polypeptides that can lead to amplification of photo-induced changes in shape and polarity, and (3) preparation of self-assembled surfaces of rod-like polypeptides that incorporate photo-responsive groups. In this dissertation, progress made towards these goals will be discussed.