Construction of supramolecular self-assembled microfibers with fluorescent properties through a modified ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy

pH-Responsive Polyketone/5,10,15,20-Tetrakis-(Sulfonatophenyl)Porphyrin Supramolecular Submicron Colloidal Structures

In this work, we prepared color-changing colloids by using the electrostatic self-assembly approach. The supramolecular structures are composed of a pH-responsive polymeric surfactant and the water-soluble porphyrin 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS). The pH-responsive surfactant polymer was achieved by the chemical modification of an alternating aliphatic polyketone (PK) via the Paal–Knorr reaction with N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (HEDA). The resulting polymer/dye supramolecular systems form colloids at the submicron level displaying negative zeta potential at neutral and basic pH, and, at acidic pH, flocculation is observed. Remarkably, the colloids showed a gradual color change from green to pinky-red due to the protonation/deprotonation process of TPPS from pH 2 to pH 12, revealing different aggregation behavior.

Morphological transformation of ultrasonically obtained nanofibers during living self-assembly

The nanofibers are obtained by ionic self-assembly and living self-assembly.

A liquid crystal based method for detection of urease activity and heavy metal ions by using stimulus-responsive surfactant-encapsulated phosphotungstate clusters

A liquid crystal (LC) based method is described for the sensitive determination of the activity of urease and of heavy metal ions which acts as inhibitors. Stimulus-responsive surfactant-encapsulated phosphotungstate clusters (SECs) were fabricated and deposited onto octadecyltrichlorosilane-coated glass. A copper TEM grid filled with LCs was placed on the substrate to construct the LC optical cell. Upon addition of water to the LC interface, the optical appearance of LCs on the glass undergoes a bright-to-dark shift due to an orientational transition of the LCs from a planar to a homeotropic state. However, the LCs display a bright appearance if they are pretreated with an aqueous solution containing urea and urease. This is caused by the disassemby of the SECs from the glass surface due to an increase of the pH value that is induced by the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea by urease. The method is highly sensitive and can detect urease activities as low as 0.03 mU/mL. It can also be applied to the determination of heavy metal ions which exert an inhibitory effect on the activity of urease. For example, Cu(II) can be quantified via urease inhibition in 1 nM concentration. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a liquid crystal-based sensor for detection of urease and heavy metal ions by using stimulus-responsive surfactant-encapsulated phosphotungstate clusters.

Concentration-Driven Fascinating Vesicle-Fibril Transition Employing Merocyanine 540 and 1-Octyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride

In this article, anionic lipophilic dye merocyanine 540(MC540) and cationic surface-active ionic liquid (SAIL) 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C₈mimCl) are employed to construct highly ordered fibrillar and vesicular aggregates exploiting an ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy. It is noteworthy that the concentration of the counterions has exquisite control over the morphology, in which lowering the concentration of both the building blocks in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 provides a vesicle to fibril transition. Here, we have reported the concentration-controlled fibril-vesicle transition utilizing the emerging fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) technique. Furthermore, we have detected this morphological transformation by means of other microscopic techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) to gain additional support. Besides, multiwavelength FLIM (MW-FLIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques assist us in knowing the microheterogeneity and the height profile of the vesicles, respectively. We have replaced the SAIL, C₈mimCl, by an analogous traditional surfactant, n-octyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB), and it provides a discernible change in morphology similar to that of C₈mimCl, whereas 1-octanol is unable to exhibit any structural aggregation and thus reveals the importance of electrostatic interaction in supramolecular aggregate formation. However, the SAILs having the same imidazolium headgroup with different chain lengths other than C₈mimCl are unable to display any structural transition and determine the importance of the correct chain length for efficient packing of the counterions to form a specific self-assembly. Therefore, this study reveals the synergistic interplay of electrostatic, hydrophobic, and π-π stacking interactions to construct the self-assembly and their concentration-dependent morphological transition.

Micelle Formation of Morpholinium Bromide Surfactants in Aqueous Solution

The micelle formation of N-alkyl-N-methylmorpholinium bromide (CnMMB, n = 12, 14, 16) surfactants in aqueous solution has been investigated. Their critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness and efficiency of the surface tension reduction, and the maximum surface excess concentration were derived from the surface tension curves. Thermodynamic parameters were then evaluated in the temperature range of 25 °C ∼ 45 °C. The results showed that with increasing the alkyl chain length, the CMC values were decreased gradually, which is consistent with the enhancement of hydrophobic effect. Due to the existence of an oxygen atom in the headgroup, an unusual surface activity of CnMMB surfactants was obtained. The obtained results should help to better understand the effect of the hydrophilic headgroup on the micelle behavior of cationic surfactants containing saturated nitrogen-containing heterocycles.

Ionic Self-Assembly of a Giant Vesicle as a Smart Microcarrier and Microreactor

Giant vesicles (1-10 μm) were constructed via a facile ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy using an anionic dye Acid Orange II (AO) and an oppositely charged ionic-liquid-type cationic surfactant 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C14mimBr). This is the first report about preparing giant vesicles through ISA strategy. Interestingly, the giant vesicle could keep the original morphology during the evaporation of solvent and displayed solid-like properties at low concentration. Moreover, giant vesicles with large internal capacity volume and good stability in solution could also be achieved by increasing the concentrations of AO and C14mimBr which contributed to the increase of the other noncovalent cooperative interactions. In order to facilitate comparison, a series of parallel experiments with similar materials were carried out to investigate and verify the driving forces for the formation of these kinds of giant vesicles by changing the hydrophobic moieties or the head groups of the surfactants. It is concluded that the electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic effect and π-π stacking interaction play key roles in this self-assembly process. Importantly, the giant vesicles can act as a smart microcarrier to load and release carbon quantum dot (CQD) under control. Besides, the giant vesicles could also be applied as a microrector to synthesize monodispersed Ag nanoparticles with diameter of about 5-10 nm which exhibited the ability to catalyze reduction of 4-nitroaniline. Therefore, it is indicated that our AO/C14mimBr assemblies hold promising applications in the areas of microencapsulation, catalyst support, and lightweight composites owing to their huge sizes and large microcavities.

Supramolecular structures ranging from nano- to macro-scale with fluorescent and organic semiconducting properties

Supramolecular structures ranging from nano- to macro-scale are prepared by an ionic self-assembly (ISA) strategy with commercially available, low-cost dyes and surfactants, viz. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and sodium bis(2-ethylhexylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (NaAOT).