Nanozipper formation in the solid state from a self-assembling tripeptide with a single tryptophan residue

The self-assembly of a terminally protected tripeptide Boc-γ-Abu(1)-Ala(2)-Trp(3)-OMe (γ-Abu = γ-aminobutyric acid) 1 results in the formation of a nanostructured supramolecular zipper through various non-covalent interactions in the crystal in which the indole side-chain of the Trp(3) residue plays a key role via N–H⋯π interactions.