Self-assembly and fibrillization of a Fmoc-functionalized polyphenolic amino acid†
Abstract
Self-assembly of Fmoc-L-DOPA leads to the formation of twisted fibers at pH 2. Temperature dependent circular dichroism (CD) reveals the formation of a linear superstructure via π–π stacking. SAXS experiments together with TEM imaging confirm the existence of semi-flexible twisted-multistranded fibers. The self-assembly is found to be pH-dependent, with no aggregation at pH 5 and 7.