“Cross-linked fibrous” spherulites formed from a low molecular weight compound, Fmoc-functionalized phenolic amino acid

Abstract

While biomacromolecules such as proteins are shown to form fibrous spherulites, which are generally “semicrystalline” in nature, here we show that a simple, low molecular weight compound such as fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-functionalized phenolic amino acid (Fmoc-L-tyrosine) can form “fibrous” spherulites with highly “cross-linked” microfibrils using the supramolecular self-assembly process.