Peptoids are a versatile class of bio-inspired polymer whose length and monomer sequence can be precisely controlled. Peptoids are based on an N-substituted glycine backbone, and bridge a great materials gap between proteins and bulk polymers. Like proteins, peptoids are a sequence-specific heteropolymer, capable of folding into specific shapes and exhibiting potent biological activities; and like bulk polymers they are chemically and biologically stable and relatively cheap to make. Peptoids are efficiently assembled via automated solid-phase synthesis from hundreds of chemically diverse building blocks (primary amines) allowing the rapid generation of huge combinatorial libraries. Computational tools are also being developed which aid the prediction of chain folding. The precision synthetic control over the peptoid structure enables the rapid prototyping of new materials, as well as the testing of fundamental principles in polymer science and structural biology. Peptoids provide an ideal platform to discover nanostructured materials capable of protein-like structure and function. 

Precision sequence control in peptoid polymers

246th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.