以色列特拉维夫大学Gazit Ehud组报道了一种自愈多光谱透明粘接多肽玻璃。相关研究成果发表在2024年6月12日出版的《自然》。

尽管玻璃具有无序的类液体结构，但它表现出类固体的机械性能。玻璃质材料的形成是通过玻璃化来进行的，防止结晶并促进无定形结构。玻璃由于其独特的光学、化学和机械性能以及耐用性、多功能性和环境可持续性，在材料科学的各个领域都是基础。然而，在不影响玻璃材料性能的情况下对其进行工程设计是一项挑战。

该文中，研究人员报道了一种由短芳香三肽YYY与结构水非共价交联引发的自发自组织形成的超分子无定形玻璃。这个系统独特地结合了经常相互矛盾的属性集；它是高度刚性的，但可以在室温下进行完全的自修复。此外，超分子玻璃是一种极强的粘合剂，但它在从可见光到中红外的宽光谱范围内是透明的。在由天然氨基酸组成的简单生物有机肽玻璃中观察到了这一特殊特性，从而提供了一种可用于科学和工程中的各种应用的多功能材料。

附：英文原文

Title: A self-healing multispectral transparent adhesive peptide glass

Author: Finkelstein-Zuta, Gal, Arnon, Zohar A., Vijayakanth, Thangavel, Messer, Or, Lusky, Orr Simon, Wagner, Avital, Zilberman, Galit, Aizen, Ruth, Michaeli, Lior, Rencus-Lazar, Sigal, Gilead, Sharon, Shankar, Sudha, Pavan, Mariela Jorgelina, Goldstein, Dor Aaron, Kutchinsky, Shira, Ellenbogen, Tal, Palmer, Benjamin A., Goldbourt, Amir, Sokol, Maxim, Gazit, Ehud

Issue&Volume: 2024-06-12

Abstract: Despite its disordered liquid-like structure, glass exhibits solid-like mechanical properties1. The formation of glassy material occurs by vitrification, preventing crystallization and promoting an amorphous structure2. Glass is fundamental in diverse fields of materials science, owing to its unique optical, chemical and mechanical properties as well as durability, versatility and environmental sustainability3. However, engineering a glassy material without compromising its properties is challenging4,5,6. Here we report the discovery of a supramolecular amorphous glass formed by the spontaneous self-organization of the short aromatic tripeptide YYY initiated by non-covalent cross-linking with structural water7,8. This system uniquely combines often contradictory sets of properties; it is highly rigid yet can undergo complete self-healing at room temperature. Moreover, the supramolecular glass is an extremely strong adhesive yet it is transparent in a wide spectral range from visible to mid-infrared. This exceptional set of characteristics is observed in a simple bioorganic peptide glass composed of natural amino acids, presenting a multi-functional material that could be highly advantageous for various applications in science and engineering.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07408-x

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07408-x