Surface-generated copper ions induce multilayer growth of small peptides

•Glu-Cys-Gly adsorption onto copper surface results in the growth of a thick hybrid multilayer.•The multilayer is composed of cuprous-thiolate complexes made of two peptide molecules anchoring one Cu+ cation.•The build-up of the peptide multilayer is driving by both the generation of Cu+ ions and stabilized by the intermolecular interactions.