| Abstract
| - Surface-grafted peptide nanospheres consisting of hydrophobic poly(l-phenylalanine) with hydrophilic poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG) grafts were successfully prepared by the one-step polymerization of l-phenylalanine N-carboxyanhydridewith the dual initiators of hydrophobic n-butylamine and hydrophilic NH2-monoterminated PEG (NH2−PEG). Themonodispersed peptide nanospheres were stably self-assembled during polymerization in a mixture of water/dimethylsulfoxide to create a colloidal solution, but only aggregated in water or organic solvents. When n-butylamine orNH2−PEG was used as a solitary initiator, the peptide nanospheres were not formed. The peptide nanospheres showedhigh dispersion-stability in water, and their diameter was approximately 300 nm. Furthermore, the peptide nanosphereswere well-redispersed in water, retaining the same diameter and monodispersity even after lyophilization. Peptidenanospheres with the functional carboxylic acid on their graft layer were also successfully prepared by the one-steppreparation method. This one-step preparation method of surface-grafted peptide nanospheres will be useful as anadvanced technology to develop biodegradable functional nanospheres.
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