Self‐assembling capsule and fiber formations of polyion complexes of chitosan and poly(α,L‐glutamic acid)

Different characteristic surface structures such as capsules, regularly spaced droplets and fibers are made by electrostatic interaction between cationic chitosan and anionic poly(α,L ‐glutamic acid) via polyion complex formation. Spherical droplet capsules of varying diameters form in solutions. The strong fiber are spinnable by gravity and by a wet spinning in ethanol. The resulting PLG composite fiber is water‐insoluble, and has a potential as a new poly(α‐amino acid) fiber technology.