Synthesis, Characterization, and Investigation of Corona Formation of Dipeptide-Based Nanomaterials

Peptide-based nanomaterials can be easily functionalized due to their functional groups, as well as being biocompatible, stable under physiological conditions, and nontoxic. Here, diphenylalanineamide-based nanomaterials (FFANMs) were synthesized, decorated with Ca²⁺ ions to set the surface charge, and characterized for possible use in gene delivery and drug release studies. FFANMs were characterized by SEM, TEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and LC-MS/MS. Corona formation and biocompatible studies were also carried out. Some of the data obtained are as follows: FFANMs have a diameter of approximately 87.93 nm. While the zeta potentials of FFANMs and Ca²⁺@FFANMs were -20.1 mV and +9.3 mV, respectively, after corona formation with HSA and IgG proteins, they were shifted to -7.6 mV and -3.7 mV, respectively. For gene delivery studies, zeta potentials of Ca²⁺@FFANMs and DNA interactions were also studied and found to shift to -9.7 mV. Cytotoxicity and biocompatibility studies of NMs were also studied on HeLa and HT29 cell lines, and decreases of about 5% and 10% in viability at the end of 24 h and 72 h incubation times were found. We think that the results obtained from this study will assist the groups working in the relevant field.