Solid Phase Synthesis of Graft Copolymers of Poly(Thiophene)S and Peptides Containing 3-Thienylalanine

Graft copolymers of conjugated poly(3-hexylthiophene) and polypeptides containing an artificial amino acid, 3-thienylalanine (3TA), were synthesized and purified using solid phase synthesis techniques. The structures of the graft copolymers were characterized by NMR, and binding of biotinylated graft copolymers to avidin and streptavidin was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. This system is not limited to peptides and 3-hexylthiophene, and should be generally applicable to synthesis of copolymers of conjugated polymers and biomolecules that can be immobilized on a solid support.