Self-Assembly and Mineralization of Peptide-Amphiphile Nanofibers

作者：Jeffrey D. Hartgerink, Elia Beniash, Samuel I. Stupp · 发表于：Science · 年份：2001 · DOI：10.1126/science.1063187 · 被引用次数：3603 · 研究领域：Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials、Chemical Synthesis and Analysis、Bone and Dental Protein Studies

We have used the pH-induced self-assembly of a peptide-amphiphile to make a nanostructured fibrous scaffold reminiscent of extracellular matrix. The design of this peptide-amphiphile allows the nanofibers to be reversibly cross-linked to enhance or decrease their structural integrity. After cross-linking, the fibers are able to direct mineralization of hydroxyapatite to form a composite material in which the crystallographic c axes of hydroxyapatite are aligned with the long axes of the fibers. This alignment is the same as that observed between collagen fibrils and hydroxyapatite crystals in bone.