foldamerbased
Foldamer-based materials refer to systems constructed from foldamers—synthetic oligomers designed to adopt stable, non-native secondary structures that mimic protein folding. Foldamers include beta- and gamma-peptides, peptoids, and aromatic backbones that fold into helices, sheets, or other shapes in solution or solid state. By constraining sequence and backbone, foldamer-based designs achieve predictable three-dimensional structures that can serve as functional scaffolds for molecular recognition, catalysis, or material assembly.
Design and chemistry: Folding is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds, stacking interactions, and steric constraints. Different
Applications: In drug discovery, foldamer-based ligands can bind protein targets with high affinity and selectivity, often
Challenges and outlook: Key challenges include synthesis cost and complexity, limited library sizes, and the need