Fig 1

(a) Schematic illustrations of Ac-AmK-NH2 (m = 3, 6, 9) peptide self-assembly 50. (b) Dependence of ΔH and morphology of peptide assemblies on the content of water 31. Fig. 1a Adapted from American Chemical Society publisher. Fig. 1b with permission from Ref. 31. Copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "

Fig 2

Schematic illustration of C-LF self-assembling into fibrous hydrogels. AAMD simulations elucidating the intermolecular interactions in the hydrogels (white, silver, blue, and red spheres represent hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms, respectively) 53. Adapted with permission from Ref. 53. Copyright 2019 Elsevier. "

Fig 3

(a) Proposed mechanism for the self-assembly of FF-H2TPPS microspheres 57. (b) SEM image of a single microsphere cross-section showing porous structures 57. (c) Proposed mechanism for the formation of KK-H2TPPS fiber bundles 58. (d) Confocal image of fiber bundles showing red photoluminescence 58. Fig. 3a–b Adapted with permission from Ref. 57. Copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Fig. 3c–d Adapted with permission from Ref. 58. Copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "

Fig 4

(a) A model structure was created of Fmoc-FF peptides arranged in an anti-parallel β-sheet pattern 61. (b) Fmoc-FF forms a self-supporting transparent hydrogel 61. (c) The microscopic structure as observed by cryo-SEM presents flat bundles of fibers 61. (d) Proposed mechanism for the self-assembly of nanofibers dominated with β-sheet and α-helix secondary structures 62. Fig. 4a–c Adapted from WILEY–VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Fig. 4d Adapted with permission from Ref. 62. Copyright 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "

Fig 5

(a) Fabrication of photodynamic nanoparticles by amphiphilic dipeptide- or amino-acid-tuned self-assembly 64. (b) Cell internalization of the assembled NPs in vitro, the red represents photosensitizer 64. (c) Self-assembly of a peptide-porphyrin conjugate (TPP-G-FF) into photothermal peptide-porphyrin nanodots 65. (d) Temperature elevation of nanodots in water in dependence of light intensity 65. Fig. 5a–b Adapted with permission from Ref. 64. Copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Fig. 5c–d Adapted with permission from Ref. 65. Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. "

Fig 6

(a) Construction of metallo-nanodrugs through cooperative coordination of peptides and photosensitizers in the presence of zinc ions. (b) TEM images of the metallo-nanodrugs. (c) The ultrasensitive response of metallo-nanodrugs to pH and GSH changes 70. (d) Construction of integrated MRI/PDT platform through cooperative coordination of peptides and photosensitizers in the presence of manganese ions 71. Fig. 6a–c Adapted with permission from Ref. 70. Copyright 2018 American Chemical Society. Fig. 6d Adapted with permission from Ref. 71. Copyright 2018 American Chemical Society. "

Fig 7

Self-evolution of porphyrin (TPPS) and dipeptide (KK) to a model of a primitive photosystem; (b) TEM image of TPPS/KK fiber bundles mineralized with TiO2 nanoparticles; (c) Time dependence of H2 evolution on TPPS/KK/Pt, TPPS/KK/TiO2, and TPPS/KK/TiO2/Pt fiber bundles 74. Adapted with permission from Ref. 74. Copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "

Fig 8

(a) Illustration of adhering amphiphilic amino acids-templated self-assembly of a model of oxygen-evolving photosynthetic bacteria; (b) TEM image of Fmoc-L-Lys/DOPA/Co3O4 nanofibers; (c) UV-Vis absorption spectra of the nanofibers; (d) Photocatalytic oxygen evolution 75. Adapted with permission from Ref. 75. Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. "

Fig 9

(a) Injectable self-assembled CDP-based nanocarriers for tumor delivery and effective in vivo PDT 92. (b) Average hydrodynamic diameter and (c) zeta potential of various nanocarriers 92. (d) The Fmoc-FF/PLL hydrogel can pass through a 26-gauge (260 μm) needle without clogging 93. (e) SEM and (f) TEM images of Fmoc-FF/PLL-SH hydrogels 93. Fig. 9a–c Adapted with permission from Ref. 92. Copyright 2016 American Chemical Society. Fig. 9d–f Adapted with permission from Ref. 93. Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. "

Fig 10

SEM image, TEM image and size distribution of assembled CCNPs using CDP and Ce6 as building blocks (a) and FCNPs using Fmoc-L-Lys and Ce6 as building blocks (b); (c) Whole body fluorescence images of MCF-7-tumor-bearing nude mice intravenously injected through a tail vein with FCNPs and free Ce6; (d) Representative photos of mice after various treatments at different time point 64. Adapted with permission from Ref. 64. Copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "

Fig 11

(a) DLS size distribution and (b) TEM image of PPP-NDs; (c) Mean temperature of the tumor sites as a function of irradiation time; (d) PA images of mice at various time points after intravenous injection of PPP-NDs; (e) Tumor volume of the mice in different groups 65. Adapted with permission from Ref. 65. Copyright 2017 American Chemical Society. "

Fig 12

(a) SEM images of the ZBMn NPs; (b) UV-Vis absorption spectra of BV monomer, ZB NPs (pH = 6.82), and ZBMn NPs (pH = 7.04); (c) DLS size profiles of the ZBMn NPs in water and in physiological culture medium incubated at 37 ℃ for 48 h; (d) Continuous irradiation-cooling profiles of the ZBMn NPs under laser irradiation; (e) In vivo biodistribution of the ZBMn NPs; (f) PAI (up) and MRI (below) of tumor-bearing mice using the ZBMn NPs as contrast agents; (g) Tumor volume of the mice monitored during the observation period; (h) Images of the tumors during the observation period 98. Adapted with permission from Ref. 98. Copyright 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. "