Self-Assembling Functionalized Amino Acids into Unusual Shapes

Abstract

Multi-component small molecule systems that are amphiphilic or that can hydrogen bond end-toend or side-to-side have been shown to self-assemble into a variety of shapes including fibers, rods, sheets, plates, spheres, and tubes. Recently, we have identified a simple route to selfassemble the same shapes from one-component systems. The structures form by attaching ethyl vinyl sulfone (EVS) to amino acids in water at room temperature. Choice of amino acid, amount of EVS substitution, and solvent conditions determine the final shape. Functionalized amino acids spontaneously form structures like fibers, spheres, tubes, and donuts when dried from solution. Here we focus on fibers and tubes.