Physics of Peptide Nanostructures and Their Nanotechnology Applications

In this chapter we review the tremendous progress in the relatively new field of peptide nanotubes (PNTs). While pointing out the different peptides that are being used for the formation of PNTs, we focus on PNTs that are being formed from small aromatic dipeptides, and especially the diphenylalanine (FF) peptide and its modifications. Along the years, it was found that the FF PNT possesses exceptional properties, such as extremely high rigidity, unique optical properties that resemble the quantum confinement phenomenon of semiconductors, odd-rank tensor related properties of piezoelectricity and second harmonic generation and more. We also describe how these properties change as the FF PNT undergoes phase-transition at 150°C. In the last part of the chapter we review the progress in the deposition techniques of FF PNTs toward possible nanotechnological devices.