Peptide-based carbon nanotube hair colorants and their use in hair colorant and cosmetic compositions

A triblock, peptide-based carbon nanotube hair colorant having the general structure [(HBP)m-S]n-CNT, wherein

• a) HBP is a hair-binding peptide;
• b) CNT is a carbon nanotube;
• c) S is a spacer;
• d) m ranges from 1 to about 50;
• and
• d) n ranges from 1 to about 500.

A method of dying hair comprising:

• a) providing a hair colorant composition comprising a peptide-based carbon nanotube hair colorant having the general structure (HBP)n-CNT, or [(HBP)m-S]n- CNT, wherein
• 1) HBP is a hair-binding peptide;
• 2) CNT is a carbon nanotube;
• 3) S is a spacer;
• 4) m ranges from 1 to about 50;
• and
• 5) n ranges from 1 to about 500;
• and b) contacting the hair colorant composition of (a) with hair for a time sufficient for the peptide-based carbon nanotube colorant to bind to hair.

A method of coloring eyebrows or eyelashes comprising:

• a) providing a cosmetic composition comprising the peptide-based carbon nanotube hair colorant of having the general structure (HBP)n-CNT, or [(HBP)m-S]-CNT wherein
• 1) HBP is a hair-binding peptide;
• 2) CNT is a carbon nanotube;
• 3) S is a spacer;
• 4) m ranges from 1 to about 50;
• and
• 5) n ranges from 1 to about 500;
• and
• b) contacting the cosmetic composition of (a) with eyebrows or eyelashes for a time sufficient for the peptide-based carbon nanotube hair colorant to bind to eyebrows or eyelashes.

A method for coloring hair, eyebrows or eyelashes comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a colorant composition selected from the group consisting of:
• i) (HBP)n-CNT;
• and
• ii) [(HBP)m-S]k-CNT
• wherein
• 1) HBP is a hair-binding peptide;
• 2) CNT is a carbon nanotube;
• 3) n ranges from 1 to about 500
• 4) S is a spacer;
• 5) m ranges from 1 to about 50;
• and
• 6) k ranges from 1 to about 500;
• and wherein the hair binding peptide is selected by a method comprising the steps of:
• A) providing a library of combinatorial generated peptides;
• B) contacting the library of (A) with a hair sample to form a reaction solution comprising peptide-hair complexes:
• C) isolating the peptide-hair complex of (B) from the reaction solution;
• D) amplifying the DNA encoding the peptide portion of the peptide-hair complex of (C);
• and
• E) sequencing the amplified DNA of (D) encoding a hair-binding peptide wherein the hair-binding peptide is selected;
• and
• b) contacting the colorant composition of (a) with hair, eyebrows or eyelashes for a time sufficient for the peptide-based carbon nanotube colorant to bind to hair, eyebrows or eyelashes.