From Hydration Layers to Nanoarchitectures: Water's Pivotal Role in Peptide Organization on 2D Nanomaterials

Hydration Layers and Nanoarchitectures

By Quantum Server Networks

Water, often considered a simple solvent, is emerging as a crucial player in shaping the nanoworld. A groundbreaking study from the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University has unveiled how hydration layers around peptides guide their self-assembly into ordered nanoarchitectures on 2D materials like graphite and MoS2. This research, published in Small, provides critical insights into designing peptide-based bio-nanohybrid devices for next-generation sensors and bioelectronics.

The Challenge of Biomolecule Integration

In materials science and biotechnology, integrating biomolecules onto inorganic substrates has long been a technical challenge. Biological molecules offer unique functionalities, but their alignment and stability on non-biological materials are not straightforward. The new study addresses this gap by exploring the fundamental role of water molecules in mediating these interactions.

Peptides and Surfaces: A Molecular Dance

The research team, led by Ayhan Yurtsever, Takeshi Fukuma, and Linhao Sun, designed simple dipeptides made of alternating tyrosine (Y) and histidine (H) residues. Tyrosine contributes hydrophobic (water-repelling) characteristics, while histidine brings hydrophilic (water-attracting) features. These contrasting tendencies, coupled with the peptide’s sequence and length, were key to understanding their assembly behavior on atomically thin materials.

Using advanced frequency modulated atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM), the researchers visualized how these YH dipeptides aligned linearly along crystallographic orientations of graphite and MoS2. They observed that the peptides adopted fully extended conformations matching their unfolded states and interacted intimately with surrounding water molecules.

Hydration Layers as Structural Architects

The study revealed that water does more than fill the space around molecules; it actively participates in the assembly process. Hydration shells around peptides stabilized their arrangements and facilitated hydrogen bonding, enabling subtle structural adjustments. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that these water-mediated interactions are vital for maintaining order and stability at the interface.

Furthermore, 3D-AFM imaging provided an unprecedented view of heterogeneous hydration shells encapsulating peptide assemblies. These structures could serve as binding pockets for selective molecular recognition, paving the way for biofunctional surfaces capable of catalysis and biosensing.

Applications in Bioelectronics and Beyond

This work opens avenues for creating hybrid materials where peptides act as templates for organizing nanoparticles at the sub-nanometer scale. Such precision is critical in quantum devices, biosensors, and catalytic systems. The possibility of engineering peptide lattices to mimic enzyme active sites also holds promise for advanced electrochemical and biomedical technologies.

As researchers continue to explore hydration effects on peptide assembly, their findings will contribute to rational material design at the nanoscale, where biology meets solid-state physics.

Read the original article here: https://phys.org/news/2025-06-hydration-layers-nanoarchitectures-pivotal-role.html

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#MaterialsScience #Nanotechnology #PeptideSelfAssembly #HydrationLayers #Bioelectronics #QuantumServerNetworks

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