Published as part of the Organic Letters virtual special issue "Chemoselective Methods for Labeling and Modification of Peptides and Proteins".

A single amino acid in a peptide sequence can play an important role to tune the self-assembly and hydrogelation behaviour. Here, a C-terminal cysteine-containing ultrashort peptide hydrogelator forms hydrogel through noncovalent and covalent interactions. Interestingly, the hydrogel is insoluble in water and buffer solutions at different pH values (1-13) and is thixotropic and injectable. In recent years, removing dyes from contaminated water has become a significant concern because of the shortage of freshwater resources. Therefore, the adsorption of dyes through a reliable, straightforward, nontoxic, cheap, and environmentally friendly adsorbent has become a popular topic. Hence, the hydrogelator was exploited to remove organic dyes from wastewater, harnessing its applicability in the gel phase and solid supports (filter paper and cotton).

Unleashing the power of peptide hydrogels for environmental remediation: This is a tale of an ultrashort peptide hydrogel (azo‐KC) and its efficiency for wastewater treatment. The hydrogel is the outcome of the cumulative efforts of covalent and noncovalent interactions providing unique features like thixotropy and insolubility in bulk water medium. Dye contamination from textile industries is a severe concern for water pollution, and this crosslinked 3D fibrous hydrogel has been implemented as a promising way to efficiently address such wastewater challenges. More information can be found in the Research Article by S. Ahmed, B. Pramanik and co‐workers (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202300312). Various elements in this picture were designed by Freepik.