Spontaneous Nanobelt Formation by Self-Assembly of beta-Benzyl GABA

Abstract

We present the formation of a nanobelt by self-assembly of beta-benzyl GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). This simple gamma-amino acid building block self-assembled to form a well-defined nanobelt in chloroform. The nanobelt showed distinct optical properties due to pi-pi interactions. This new-generation self-assembled single amino acid may serve as a template for functional nanomaterials.