Amphiphilic peptides and their cross-disciplinary role as building blocks for nanoscience

Peptides are particularly attractive as molecular building blocks in the bottom-up fabrication of supramolecular structures based on self-assembly and have potential in many important applications in the fields of biotechnology and bioengineering. In the first part of this critical review the main categories of peptide-based amphiphiles will be discussed by showing some relevant examples, which demonstrate the importance of amphiphilic peptides as molecular building blocks for nanostructures. In the second part of this review we will review the cross-disciplinary role of peptide-based supramolecular nanoarchitectures ranging from chemistry to biology, medicine, materials science, and engineering through discussing several examples of applied nanomaterials. © 2009 Royal Society of Chemistry.