Patent ID: 7396814

Claim:
A metallopeptide, consisting of a peptide of formula IV, V, VI or VII: wherein: R 1 is NH 2 , NH 3 + , NH 2 —R 7 , R 8 —NH 2 or H; R 2 is H or a linear or branched C 1 to C 17 alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkene, alkenyl, or aralkyl chain; R 3 and R 4 are independently a C 1 to C 6 aliphatic linear or branched chain, including CH 3 , or an aromatic amino acid side chain moiety, on the proviso that not more than one of R 3 and R 4 is a C 1 to C 6 aliphatic linear or branched chain; R 5 is a C 1 to C 6 linear or branched chain or a neutral hydrogen bonding or positively charged amino acid side chain moiety; R 6 is OH or NH 2 ; R 7 is from 1 to 3 amino acid residues, excluding residues with a side chain comprising indole, or a C 1 -C 17 chain, including an alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkene, alkenyl, or aralkyl, but excluding indole; R 8 is an amino acid residue with an aliphatic side chain or its corresponding N-acylated derivative; R 9 is H or CH 3 ; S 1 is an amino acid side chain moiety including a sulfur atom (S) for metal ion complexation; and the index value n is 0, in which case it is not present, or is 1; and a metal ion complexed to S in S 1 and at least one preceding alpha amino nitrogen (N) atom, thereby displacing the hydrogen (H) in the alpha amino NH group.