Macro- and nanoscale self-assembled amino acid derivatives as reduction-sensitive and photoactive materials

Abstract

Amino acid-based systems are attractive for biomedical applications given their high biocompatibility and functionality. Amino acids self-assemble into various structures ranging from a few nanometers to hundreds of microns (micelles, vesicles, fibres, etc.) with a wide variety of properties (size, shape, morphology, etc.) Interestingly, certain environmental factors (pH, ionic strength, temperature, light, etc.) influence these structures, providing functional systems with the capacity to respond to stimuli. In this doctoral thesis, compounds based on amino acids have been designed and studied from the point of view of fundamental science and applied research to be used in cell visualization, and controlled and targeted release. The presented work contributes positively to the development of intelligent systems based on amino acids for biomedical applications, providing relevant and valuable information on the design, the self-assembly process, the responsiveness to stimuli and fluorescence phenomena.