Water‐Dispersible Polydopamine‐Coated Nanofibers for Stimulation of Neuronal Growth and Adhesion

Hybrid nanomaterials have shown great potential in regenerative medicine due to the unique opportunities to customize materials properties for effectively controlling cellular growth. The peptide nanofiber‐mediated auto‐oxidative polymerization of dopamine, resulting in stable aqueous dispersions of polydopamine‐coated peptide hybrid nanofibers, is demonstrated. The catechol residues of the polydopamine coating on the hybrid nanofibers are accessible and provide a platform for introducing functionalities in a pH‐responsive polymer analogous reaction, which is demonstrated using a boronic acid modified fluorophore. The resulting hybrid nanofibers exhibit attractive properties in their cellular interactions: they enhance neuronal cell adhesion, nerve fiber growth, and growth cone area, thus providing great potential in regenerative medicine. Furthermore, the facile modification by pH‐responsive supramolecular polymer analog reactions allows tailoring the functional properties of the hybrid nanofibers in a reversible fashion. Multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials are highly attractive for biomedical research. Herein, defined hybrid nanofibers are generated from self‐assembling peptides as scaffold and polydopamine as thin functional coating. These nanofibers enhance adhesion and growth of neurons illustrating their potential in regenerative medicine. Furthermore, they can be readily functionalized in a reversible fashion as exemplified by a boronic acid modified reporter chromophore.