Self-assembly of an amino acid derivative into an antimicrobial hydrogel biomaterial

N‐(4‐nitrobenzoyl)‐Phe self‐assembles into a transparent supramolecular hydrogel that displays high fibroblast and keratinocyte cell viability, as well as a mild antimicrobial activity against E.coli both as a hydrogel and in solution. Single‐crystal XRD data reveals packing details, including protonation of the C‐terminus due to an apparent pKa shift, as confirmed by pH titrations. MicroRaman analysis reveals almost identical features between the gel and crystal states, although more disorder in the former. The hydrogel is thermoreversible and disassembles within a range of temperatures that can be fine‐tuned by experimental conditions, such as gelator concentration. At the minimum gelling concentration of 0.63 wt.% the hydrogel disassembles at a physiological temperature range of 39‐42 °C, thus opening the way to its potential use as a biomaterial.