Block copolymers containing conjugated polymer and polypeptide sequences: Synthesis and self-assembly of electroactive and photoactive nanostructures

The synthesis and self-assembly of hybrid block copolymers containing π-conjugated polymer and polypeptide blocks, is described. This block copolymer architecture can exhibit both rod-rod and rod-coil conformations by virtue of the known helix (rod)-to-coil transition of polypeptides. In organic solvents such as chloroform, PBLG adopts a rodlike α-helical conformation, whereas it undergoes helix-to-coil transition upon addition of significant amount of trifluoroacetic acid to the solution. Different nanostructured assemblies of the block copolymers were observed depending on the copolymer composition and the secondary structure of the polypeptide blocks.