Chiral helical peptide nanomaterials: Construction strategies and applications

Abstract

Chiral helical nanostructures exhibit tunable functionalities in both chemical and biological fields. The intrinsic chirality of amino acids and the tunable supramolecular assembly capabilities of peptides make them ideal materials for constructing and investigating chiral helical peptide nanomaterials (CHPNs). By employing flexible design strategies that manipulate the chirality of amino acids, peptide sequences, and environmental factors, CHPNs can further leverage the supramolecular chirality to expand their potential properties for applications. This review delves into the latest advancements in the design and comprehensive regulation of CHPNs through diverse factors, including pH, solvents, temperatures, ions, and external molecules. Additionally, the review provides an overview of the broad application prospects of CHPNs in drug delivery, antibacterial therapy, cell regulation, chiral recognition, and catalysis, with a particular emphasis on the functionalities induced by the chiral helical nanostructures.