Bio-functionalisation to enzymatically control the solution properties of a self-supporting polymeric material.

Molecular self-assembly permits the spontaneous aggregation of a variety of low molecular weight amino acid subunits into highly ordered aggregates. Functionalisation of water soluble poly(allylamine) with acetyl protected dialanine enables the formation of a biopolymer self-supporting material (SSM). The presence of an enzyme cleavable dipeptide linker renders the SSM responsive to disruption by a targeted proteolytic enzyme.