Synthesis of Self-assembling Cyclic Peptide-polymer Conjugates using Click Chemistry

Self-assembling cyclic peptide-polymer conjugates were prepared by 'clicking' polymers (prepared by RAFT polymerization) to an azide functionalized D-alt-L cyclic octapeptide via the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. Due to the high graft density, the efficiency of the click chemistry conjugation reaction was found to be highly dependent on the size of the polymer. At relatively low molecular weights, as many as four polymer chains could be grafted to each 8 residue cyclic peptide ring. Evidence for the self assembly of the conjugates into peptide-polymer nanotubes was observed by TEM and IR.