Despite its disordered liquid-like structure, glass exhibits solid-like mechanical properties¹. The formation of glassy material occurs by vitrification, preventing crystallization and promoting an amorphous structure². Glass is fundamental in diverse fields of materials science, owing to its unique optical, chemical and mechanical properties as well as durability, versatility and environmental sustainability³. However, engineering a glassy material without compromising its properties is challenging^4,5,6. Here we report the discovery of a supramolecular amorphous glass formed by the spontaneous self-organization of the short aromatic tripeptide YYY initiated by non-covalent cross-linking with structural water^7,8. This system uniquely combines often contradictory sets of properties; it is highly rigid yet can undergo complete self-healing at room temperature. Moreover, the supramolecular glass is an extremely strong adhesive yet it is transparent in a wide spectral range from visible to mid-infrared. This exceptional set of characteristics is observed in a simple bioorganic peptide glass composed of natural amino acids, presenting a multi-functional material that could be highly advantageous for various applications in science and engineering.

尽管玻璃具有无序的类液体结构，但仍表现出类固体的机械性能 ¹ 。玻璃态材料的形成通过玻璃化发生，防止结晶并促进非晶结构 ² 。玻璃因其独特的光学、化学和机械性能以及耐用性、多功能性和环境可持续性 ³ 而成为材料科学各个领域的基础。然而，在不影响其性能的情况下设计玻璃材料具有挑战性 ^4,5,6 。在这里，我们报告了由短芳香三肽YYY与结构水非共价交联引发的自发自组织形成的超分子无定形玻璃 ^7,8 。该系统独特地结合了常常相互矛盾的属性；它具有很高的刚性，但在室温下可以进行完全的自修复。此外，超分子玻璃是一种极强的粘合剂，而且在从可见光到中红外的宽光谱范围内都是透明的。这种特殊的特性是在由天然氨基酸组成的简单生物有机肽玻璃中观察到的，呈现出一种多功能材料，对于科学和工程的各种应用非常有利。