Xuliang Qian1,Haopeng Li1,Harini Mohanram1,Xiao Han1,Huitang Qi2,Guijin Zou3,Fenghou Yuan2,Ali Miserez1,Qing Yang4,Tian Liu2,Huajian Gao1,3,Jing Yu1
Nanyang Technological University1,Dalian University of Technology2,A*STAR3,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences4
Xuliang Qian1,Haopeng Li1,Harini Mohanram1,Xiao Han1,Huitang Qi2,Guijin Zou3,Fenghou Yuan2,Ali Miserez1,Qing Yang4,Tian Liu2,Huajian Gao1,3,Jing Yu1
Nanyang Technological University1,Dalian University of Technology2,A*STAR3,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences4
Biological systems often create materials with intricate structures to achieve specialized functions. In comparison, precise control of structures in man-made materials has been challenging. Here, we report a serendipitous discovery of insect cuticle peptides (ICPs) spontaneously forming nanocapsules through a single-step solvent exchange process, where the concentration gradient resulting from mixing of water and acetone drives the localization and self-assembly of the peptides into hollow nanocapsules. The underlying driving force is the intrinsic affinity of the peptides for a particular solvent concentration, while the diffusion of water and acetone creates a gradient interface that triggers peptide localization and self-assembly. This gradient-mediated self-assembly offers a transformative pathway towards next-generation drug delivery systems based on peptide nanocapsules.