Molecular Packing Parameter in Bolaamphiphile Solutions: Adjustment of Aggregate Morphology by Modifying the Solution Conditions

Aggregation Behavior and Application Properties of Novel Glycosylamide Quaternary Ammonium Salts in Aqueous Solution

Amidation of lactobionic acid with N,N-dimethylaminopropyltriamine was conducted to obtain N-(3'-dimethylaminopropyl)-lactamido-3-aminopropane (DDLPD), which was quaternized with bromoalkanes of different carbon chain lengths to synthesize double-stranded lactosylamide quaternary ammonium salt N-[N'[3-(lactosylamide)]propyl-N'-alkyl] propyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonium bromide (CnDDLPB, n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 16). The surface activity and the adsorption and aggregation behaviors of the surfactants were investigated via equilibrium surface tension, dynamic light scattering, and cryo-electron microscopy measurements in an aqueous solution. The application properties of the products in terms of wettability, emulsification, foam properties, antistatic, salt resistance, and bacteriostatic properties were tested. CnDDLPB exhibited a low equilibrium surface tension of 27.82 mN/m. With an increase in the carbon chain length, the critical micellar concentration of CnDDLPBD decreased. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed that all products except C8DDLPB formed stable monolayer, multi-layer, and multi-compartmental vesicle structures in an aqueous solution. C14DDLPB has the best emulsification performance on soybean oil, with a time of 16.6 min; C14DDLPB has good wetting and spreading properties on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) when the length of carbon chain is from 8 to 14, and the contact angle can be lowered to 33°~40°; CnDDLPB has low foam, which is typical of low-foaming products; C8DDLPB and C10DDLPB both show good antistatic properties. C8DDLPB and C14DDLPB have good salt resistance, and C12DDLPB has the best antimicrobial property, with the inhibition rate of 99.29% and 95.28% for E. coli and Gluconococcus aureus, respectively, at a concentration of 350 ppm.

Adsorption and Aggregation Behavior in Aqueous Solution of Tetrasiloxane-based Carboxylate Surfactants via "Thiol-ene" Photochemical Reaction

Anionic silicone surfactants have long been a neglected field. In this paper three anionic silicone surfactants were synthesized first time from dichloromethylvinylsilane through hydrolysis-condensation, "thiol-ene" photo- chemical and then salting reaction. The critical aggregate concentration (CAC), surface tension, minimum surface area per surfactant molecule and surface pressure at CAC were studied by both surface tension and electrical conductivity. The results showed that they had significant surface activity at the gas/liquid interface and were capable to reduce the surface tension of water to approximately 20 mN m-1 . The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the three silicone surfactants self-assembled into spherical aggregates of uniform size in aqueous solution above the CAC. The dynamic light scattering results demonstrated that the size of the aggregates was determined to be in the range from 60 to 300 nm at 0.05 mol L-1 and the order of the size of the aggregates is (Me3 SiO)3 SiCO2 Li<(Me3 SiO)3 SiCO2 Na<(Me3 SiO)3 SiCO2 K.

Syntheses, Properties, and Aggregation Behavior of Novel Carboxylate-Based Silicone Surfactants

Two new anionic silicone surfactants were synthesized for the first time from dichloromethylvinylsilane or trichlorovinylsilane through hydrolysis-condensation and then thiol-ene reactions. Their structures were characterized by FT-IR, ¹ H NMR and ESI-MS. The surface tension (γ), critical aggregate concentration (CAC), surface pressure at CAC ( Π C A C ${\Pi _{C{\rm{A}}C} }$ ) and minimum surface area per surfactant molecule ( A min ${{A}_{\min } }$ ) were studied by surface tension and electrical conductivity, demonstrating their high surface activity at the gas/liquid interface. Transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that uniform spherical aggregates former in aqueous solution for both surfactants. Moreover, the size of the aggregates was determined to be in the range from 50 to 300 nm by dynamic light scattering.

Two-Dimensional Titanium Dioxide-Surfactant Photoactive Supramolecular Networks: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications for the Conversion of Light Energy

The desire to harness solar energy to address current global environmental problems led us to investigate two-dimensional (2D) core-shell hybrid photocatalysts in the form of a 2D-TiO2-surfactant, mainly composed of fatty acids. The bulk products, prepared by two slightly different methods, consist of stacked host-guest hybrid sheets held together by van der Waals forces between alkyl carboxylate moieties, favoring the synergistic conjugation of the photophysical properties of the core and the hydrophobicity of the self-assembled surfactant monolayer of the shell. X-ray diffraction and the vibrational characteristics of the products revealed the influence of synthesis strategies on two types of supramolecular aggregates that differ in the core chemical structure, guest conformers of alkyl surfactant tails and type, and the bilayer and monolayer of the structure of nanocomposites. The singular ability of the TiO2 core to anchor carboxylate leads to commensurate hybrids, in contrast to both layered clay and layered double-hydroxide-based ion exchangers which have been previously reported, making them potentially interesting for modeling the role of fatty acids and lipids in bio-systems. The optical properties and photocatalytic activity of the products, mainly in composites with smaller bandgap semiconductors, are qualitatively similar to those of nanostructured TiO2 but improve their photoresponse due to bandgap shifts and the extreme aspect-ratio characteristics of two-dimensional TiO2 confinement. These results could be seen as a proof-of-concept of the potential of these materials to create custom-designed 2D-TiO2-surfactant supramolecular photocatalysts.

Ionic surfactants as assembly crosslinkers triggered supramolecular membrane with 2D↔3D conversion under multiple stimulus

HYPOTHESIS

General strategies leading to 2D assemblies promise a significant step forward in the development of supramolecular materials with diversity and superiority. Considering molecular packing parameter indicates a connection between molecular geometry and aggregate morphology, we predict the introduction of ionic surfactants as assembly crosslinker would be endowed to develop a methodology of 2D supramolecular assembles.

EXPERIMENTS

In this work, by introducing ionic surfactants such as sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), the molecular packing parameter P in bolaamphiphile (A2G) system was increased, which successfully manipulated the transformation of the 3D vesicles into 2D membranes. This 2D membranes further showed excellent light and enzyme response, and thus 2D to 3D morphological conversion can be rationally controlled via UV/Vis light irradiation and alternate addition of β-CD and α-amylase. Significantly, the 2D feature revealed not only a remarkable fluorescence enhancement to luminescent molecules but also the ability to effectively remove pollutants from water through filtration.

FINDINGS

We report a general and facile strategy for the construction of 2D supramolecular membranes, initiated by introducing ionic surfactants as assembly crosslinker to increase P. In the existence of stimulus response factors, 2D↔3D morphological conversion can be further controlled in a flexible manner, which opens up a new paradigm leading to interconvertible supramolecular materials.

Expanding the Potential of the Solvent-Assisted Method to Create Bio-Interfaces from Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Artificial membranes, as materials with biomimetic properties, can be applied in various fields, such as drug screening or bio-sensing. The solvent-assisted method (SA) represents a straightforward method to prepare lipid solid-supported membranes. It overcomes the main limitations of established membrane preparation methods, such as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) or vesicle fusion. However, it has not yet been applied to create artificial membranes based on amphiphilic block copolymers, despite their enhanced mechanical stability compared to lipid-based membranes and bio-compatible properties. Here, we applied the SA method on different amphiphilic di- and triblock poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PDMS-b-PMOXA) copolymers and optimized the conditions to prepare artificial membranes on a solid support. The real-time membrane formation, the morphology, and the mechanical properties have been evaluated by a combination of atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance. Then, selected biomolecules including complementary DNA strands and an artificial deallylase metalloenzyme (ADAse) were incorporated into these membranes relying on the biotin-streptavidin technology. DNA strands served to establish the capability of these synthetic membranes to interact with biomolecules by preserving their correct conformation. The catalytic activity of the ADAse following its membrane anchoring induced the functionality of the biomimetic platform. Polymer membranes on solid support as prepared by the SA method open new opportunities for the creation of artificial membranes with tailored biomimetic properties and functionality.

Micellization of Sequence-Controlled Polyurethane Ionomers in Mixed Aqueous Solvents

While the impact of compositional parameters such as block length and ionic content on the micellization of (polymeric) amphiphiles is widely investigated, the influence of monomer sequence has received far less attention until recently. Here, we report the synthesis of two sequence-controlled polyurethane ionomers (PUIs) prepared via a stepwise coupling-deprotection strategy, and compare their solution association in aqueous-organic mixtures. The two PUIs are highly similar in mass and overall composition, yet differ markedly in the sequence of building blocks. PUI-A2 comprises a polytetrahydrofuran (pTHF) block connected to an alternation of isophorone diamine (IPDA) and dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA) units that together are also arranged in a blockwise manner. The result is a macromolecular structure with a comparatively hydrophobic tail (pTHF) and a hydrophilic headgroup, which structure is reminiscent of those of traditional surfactants, albeit much larger in size. PUI-S2 instead resembles a bolaamphiphilic architecture with a pTHF midblock connected on either end to a singly charged segment comprising DMPA and IPDA. We detect micellization below a threshold cosolvent volume fraction (φsolv) of 0.4 in aqueous-organic mixtures with tetrahydrofuran (THF), ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol. We use scattering tools to compare the aggregation number (N agg) and hydrodynamic radius (R h) of PUI-S2 and PUI-A2 micelles. Irrespective of the solvent composition, we observe in the micellar window of φsolv < 0.4, lower N agg for PUI-S2 micelles compared to PUI-A2, which we attribute to packing restraints associated with its bolaamphiphilic architecture. The increase in micellar size with increasing φsolv is much more pronounced for PUI-S2 than for PUI-A2. The micellar mass decreases with increasing φsolv for both PUIs; the effect is modest for PUI-S2 compared to PUI-A2 and is not observed in the most apolar cosolvent studied (THF). Upon the approach of the micellization boundary φsolv ≈ 0.4, both types of PUI micelles become less compact in structure, as (in most cases) PUIs are released and as micellar dimensions increase.

Biomedically Relevant Applications of Bolaamphiphiles and Bolaamphiphile-Containing Materials

Bolaamphiphiles (BAs) are structurally segmented molecules with rich assembly characteristics and diverse physical properties. Interest in BAs as standalone active agents or as constituents of more complex therapeutic formulations has increased substantially in recent years. The preorganized amphiphilicity of BAs allows for a range of biological activities including applications that rely on multivalency. This review summarizes BA-related research in biomedically relevant areas. In particular, we review BA-related literature in four areas: gene delivery, antimicrobial materials, hydrogels, and prodrugs. We also discuss several distinguishing characteristics of BAs that impact their utility as biomedically relevant compounds.

Controllable self-patterning behaviours of flexible self-assembling peptide nanofibers

Extremely long flexible self-assembling peptide nanofibers can be manipulated to form various two-dimensional patterns.

Template Synthesis of Porous Ceria-Based Catalysts for Environmental Application

Porous oxide materials are widely used in environmental catalysis owing to their outstanding properties such as high specific surface area, enhanced mass transport and diffusion, and accessibility of active sites. Oxides of metals with variable oxidation state such as ceria and double oxides based on ceria also provide high oxygen storage capacity which is important in a huge number of oxidation processes. The outstanding progress in the development of hierarchically organized porous oxide catalysts relates to the use of template synthetic methods. Single and mixed oxides with enhanced porous structure can serve both as supports for the catalysts of different nature and active components for catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds, soot particles and other environmentally dangerous components of exhaust gases, in hydrocarbons reforming, water gas shift reaction and photocatalytic transformations. This review highlights the recent progress in synthetic strategies using different types of templates (artificial and biological, hard and soft), including combined ones, in the preparation of single and mixed oxide catalysts based on ceria, and provides examples of their application in the main areas of environmental catalysis.

Multi-modal control over the assembly of a molecular motor bola-amphiphile in water

We report multi-modal-control over the assembly behaviour of a first-generation molecular motor bola-amphiphile in water by light, pH and the choice of counter-ions. These findings open up opportunities for the development of materials that reconfigurate enabling complex functions in response to different stimuli.

Thermodynamically stable vesicle formation of biodegradable double mPEG-tailed amphiphiles with sulfonate head group

The development of efficient, biodegradable and biocompatible surfactants has become a pressing need because of adverse effects of surface-active compounds on the aquatic environment and human health. Cleavable surfactants containing a labile functional group have the ability to eliminate some of these problems. Consequently, PEGylated amphiphiles have found widespread applications in pharmaceutics, household purposes, and drug delivery. Herein we report synthesis and characterization of two novel amphiphiles which to our knowledge are the first examples of double PEG-tailed amphiphiles with an anionic head group. Considering their chemical structure, they are expected to be biodegradable, biocompatible, milder and less irritant than conventional surfactants. The solution behavior of these newly developed amphiphiles was thoroughly investigated in aqueous buffer (pH 7.0) at 25 °C. The surface activity of the compounds in aqueous buffer was studied by surface tension measurements. The self-assembly properties were investigated by various techniques such as fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Both molecules were found to be surface active in water and exhibit spontaneous vesicle formation in the absence of any additives at room temperature. As in the cases of conventional surfactants, the self-assembly is driven by the hydrophobic effect. The vesicles produced in aqueous media were shown to encapsulate hydrophobic dyes and exhibit structural transitions upon addition of salts. The sensitivity of the vesicles to change in environments qualifies them for potential use in drug delivery.

Spontaneous vesicle formation by biodegradable novel double mPEG-tailed amphiphiles.

Non-dependence of dodecamer structures on alkyl chain length in Platonic micelles

When the micellar aggregation number (Nagg) is sufficiently small (Nagg < 30), the micelle shows an abnormal aggregation behavior: monodispersity without any distribution in Nagg, whose values coincide with the vertex number of a regular polyhedral structure, i.e., they are termed Platonic solids. Micelles with these characteristics are named "Platonic micelles". In this study, we investigated the aggregation behavior of calixarene-based micelles bearing primary amines-the first example of Platonic micelles-with increasing alkyl chain length by small-angle X-ray scattering, asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation coupled with multiangle light scattering, and analytical ultracentrifugation measurements. Morphological transition of the micelles from spherical to cylindrical was observed when the alkyl chain length was increased in this calixarene-based micellar system, which is similar to the case of conventional systems and is acceptable in terms of the packing parameter principle. However, although the micellar Nagg normally increases with an increase in the alkyl chain length, the structure of calixarene-based Platonic micelles bearing butyl (C4), heptyl (C5), and hexyl (C6) chains remains at 12-mer. This is presumably due to the relationship between the thermodynamic stability of the Platonic micelles and the coverage ratio defined by the Tammes problem.

Discrete and Discontinuous Increase in the Micellar Aggregation Number: Effects of the Alkyl Chain Length on Platonic Micelles

Micelles with perfect monodispersity in terms of the aggregation number ( N_agg) have recently been discovered, whose values of N_agg interestingly always coincide with the vertex or face number of regular polyhedral structures (i.e., Platonic solids). Owing to the monodispersity of the micelles, named Platonic micelles, we could expect them to exhibit unprecedented aggregation behavior. In this study, the effects of alkyl chain length on micellar aggregation behavior were characterized using small-angle scattering techniques such as small-angle X-ray scattering and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering, as well as analytical ultracentrifugation measurements. The N_agg of Platonic micelles discretely and discontinuously increased when increasing the alkyl chain length, which differs markedly from the findings for conventional micelles. This aggregation behavior could be reasonably explained by the relationship between the thermodynamic stability of the micelles and the coverage density defined by one of the unsolved mathematical problems: the Tammes problem.

Trojan Antibiotics: New Weapons for Fighting Against Drug Resistance

Bacterial resistance has caused a global healthcare emergency due to the buildup of antibiotics in the environment. Novel approaches that enable highly efficient bactericide and auto inactivation are highly desired. Past researches mainly focused on the on-off bactericidal ability of antibiotics, which often displays unsatisfactory bactericidal efficiency. Herein, we report a Trojan antibiotic that considers the affinity of antibiotics to bacteria. A disguised host-guest supramolecule based on cucurbituril (CB[7]) and a bola-type azobenzene compound with glycosylamine heads at both ends is synthesized. This supramolecule has a surface fully decorated with sugar-like components, which are highly analogous to wall components of bacteria. This Trojan antibiotic is benign to a wide spectrum of bacteria at a weak basic pH of approximately 9.0 under daylight conditions. However, this antibiotic becomes a potent bactericide toward both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria at pH 4.0 under 365 nm UV irradiation. The dual use of pH and UV light greatly enhances the efficiency of the bactericidal effect so that the 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC₅₀) of the Trojan antibiotic is at least 10 times smaller than that of conventional drugs, and the removal of the UV source and reversal of pH automatically stop the antibacterial behavior, which prevents the buildup of active antimicrobial materials in the environment. We expect that the presented Trojan supramolecular strategy may open up a new paradigm in the fight against bacterial resistance.

Rediscovering the Monodispersity of Sulfonatocalix[4]arene-Based Micelles

When the micellar aggregation number ( N_agg) is small enough (<30), the N_agg matches the value of vertexes of a regular polyhedron: Platonic solids, and demonstrates perfect monodispersity. These micelles are named Platonic micelles and are particularly found in the system of calix[4]arene-based micelles due to the rigid structure of the backbone molecule. Although sulfonatocalix[4]arene-based micelles are among the most studied host molecules in supramolecular chemistry, their micellar properties as Platonic micelles have thus far been overlooked. In this study, we prepared various sulfonatocalix[4]arene-based amphiphiles bearing alkyl chains with different lengths and investigated their aggregation behavior. When the amphiphiles formed spherical micelles, they demonstrated monodispersity in terms of N_agg, whose value changed from 4 to 17, and then to 24, upon increasing the carbon number in each alkyl chain from C5 to C6, and then to C7, respectively. Although the numbers 17 and 24 do not match the vertices of regular polyhedra, these values can be reasonably explained by the Thomson problem, which considers the Coulomb potential for calculating the best packing on a sphere with multiple identical spherical caps. This study describes rediscovery of the monodispersity of sulfonatocalix[4]arene-based micelles, which is consistent with the idea of Platonic micelles.

Self-Assembled Ag-MXA Superclusters with Structure-Dependent Mechanical Properties

The low elastic modulus and time-consuming formation process represent the major challenges that impede the penetration of nanoparticle superstructures into daily life applications. As observed in the molecular or atomic crystals, more effective interactions between adjacent nanoparticles would introduce beneficial features to assemblies enabling optimized mechanical properties. Here, a straightforward synthetic strategy is showed that allows fast and scalable fabrication of 2D Ag-mercaptoalkyl acid superclusters of either hexagonal or lamellar topology. Remarkably, these ordered superstructures exhibit a structure-dependent elastic modulus which is subject to the tether length of straight-chain mercaptoalkyl acids or the ratio between silver and tether molecules. These superclusters are plastic and moldable against arbitrarily shaped masters of macroscopic dimensions, thereby opening a wealth of possibilities to develop more nanocrystals with practically useful nanoscopic properties.

A supramolecular fluorescent vesicle based on a coordinating aggregation induced emission amphiphile: insight into the role of electrical charge in cancer cell division

Binding of Zn²⁺ to the coordinating supramolecular vesicle based on an aggregation induced emission amphiphile TPE-BPA immediately triggers the formation of charged vesicles. This induces vesicle fission and fluorescence reduction, suggesting a looser molecular packing in the charged vesicle membrane. Since cancer cells are highly charged, this indicates that the quick fission of cancer cells may have electrical charge origin.

Surfactants assist in lipid extraction from wet Nannochloropsis sp

An efficient approach involving surfactant treatment, or the modification and utilization of surfactants that naturally occur in algae (algal-based surfactants), was developed to assist in the extraction of lipids from wet algae. Surfactants were found to be able to completely replace polar organic solvents in the extraction process. The highest yield of algal lipids extracted by hexane and algal-based surfactants was 78.8%, followed by 78.2% for hexane and oligomeric surfactant extraction, whereas the lipid yield extracted by hexane and ethanol was only 60.5%. In addition, the saponifiable lipids extracted by exploiting algal-based surfactants and hexane, or adding oligomeric surfactant and hexane, accounted for 78.6% and 75.4% of total algal lipids, respectively, which was more than 10% higher than the lipids extracted by hexane and ethanol. This work presents a method to extract lipids from algae using only nonpolar organic solvents, while obtaining high lipid yields and high selectivity to saponifiables.

Understanding Pathway Complexity of Organic Micro/Nanofiber Growth in Hydrogen-Bonded Coassembly of Aromatic Amino Acids

Rational engineering of one-dimensional (1D) self-assembled aggregates to produce desired materials for versatile functions remains a challenge. In this work, we report the noncovalent modulation of 1D aggregates at the micro/nanoscale using a coassembly protocol. Aromatic amino acids were employed as the model building blocks, and melamine (Mm) behaves as a modulator to form coassembly arrays with aromatic amino acids selectively. The selective self-assembly behavior between aromatic amino acids and Mm allows distinguishing and detecting Mm and aromatic amino acids from their analogues in macroscopic and microscopic scales. Dimensions and sizes of fibrous aggregates prepared from different amino acids show two opposite pathways from pristine assemblies to coassemblies induced by the addition of Mm. This pathway complexity could be controlled by the molecular conformation determined by α-positioned substituents. The developed hypothesis presents an excellent expansibility to other substrates, which may guide us to rationally design and screen 1D materials with different dimensions and sizes including the production of high-quality self-standing hydrogels.

Glutamic Acids Bearing Calix[4]arene Micelles: pH-Controllable Aggregation Number Corresponding to Regular Polyhedra

We have prepared a new calix[4]arene-based lipid containing glutamic acid as the hydrophilic group. The α-amine and the γ-carboxylic acid groups of the glutamic acid moiety allowed a continuous change in the state of the headgroup from cationic to zwitterionic and then to anionic with increasing pH. Accompanying this headgroup change, micelles of the lipid underwent a morphological transformation from spherical to cylindrical and again to spherical. The morphological transition was ascribed to the change in the lipid conformation corresponding to the pH conditions. Interestingly, at acidic and basic pH, the spherical micelles demonstrated monodispersity in terms of the aggregation number, which agreed with the vertex numbers of Platonic solids, indicating the formation of Platonic micelles. At acidic and basic pH, the lipid conformations were almost identical, but there was a slight difference in the hydrophilic volume, which might affect the packing behavior of the lipid in micelles and account for the difference in the aggregation number. This study clearly demonstrates the precise pH-controllable aggregation number of micelles, which belong to the Platonic micelle systems.

Kinetics-Controlled Amphiphile Self-Assembly Processes

Amphiphile self-assembly is an essential bottom-up approach of fabricating advanced functional materials. Self-assembled materials with desired structures are often obtained through thermodynamic control. Here, we demonstrate that the selection of kinetic pathways can lead to drastically different self-assembled structures, underlining the significance of kinetic control in self-assembly. By constructing kinetic network models from large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we show that two largely similar amphiphiles, 1-[11-oxo-11-(pyren-1-ylmethoxy)-undecyl]pyridinium bromide (PYR) and 1-(11-((5a1,8a-dihydropyren-1-yl)methylamino)-11-oxoundecyl)pyridinium bromide (PYN), prefer distinct kinetic assembly pathways. While PYR prefers an incremental growth mechanism and forms a nanotube, PYN favors a hopping growth pathway leading to a vesicle. Such preference was found to originate from the subtle difference in the distributions of hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups in their chemical structures, which leads to different rates of the adhesion process among the aggregating micelles. Our results are in good agreement with experimental results, and accentuate the role of kinetics in the rational design of amphiphile self-assembly.

Preparation and evaluation of a novel anticancer drug delivery carrier for 5-Fluorouracil using synthetic bola-amphiphile based on lysine as polar heads

A novel bolaamphiphile surfactant N,N'-(dodecane-1, 12-diyl) bis (2,6-diaminohexanamide) (DADL) was designed and synthesized using l-lysine and 1,12-diaminododecane as the hydrophilic and hydrophobic part, respectively. After separation and purification, the structure of the synthetic bolaamphiphile surfactant was verified by FTIR, MS and ¹H NMR. The synthetic bolaamphiphile was able to self-assemble to form vesicles. After formulation screening, vesicles loaded with 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) were prepared with Tween 60 and DADL by sonication and were examined by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Micro-FTIR was applied to investigate the conformation of the bola molecules within the vesicle membrane. The release profile of the vesicles showed a pH-sensitive and sustained release. No significant toxicity was observed in an in vitro cell viability assay. The antitumor efficacy of the 5-Fu-loaded vesicles on H₂₂ tumor-bearing mice was remarkably high due to the EPR effects. These results show that our novel bolaamphiphile derived from lysine has excellent potential as a pH-sensitive drug carrier.

Photoresponsive Self-Assembly of Surface Active Ionic Liquid

A novel photoresponsive surface active ionic liquid (SAIL) 1-(4-methyl azobenzene)-3-tetradecylimidazolium bromide ([C14mimAzo]Br) with azobenzene located in the headgroup was designed. Reversible vesicle formation and rupture can be finely controlled by photostimuli without any additives in the aqueous solution of the single-tailed ionic liquid. The photoisomerization of the azobenzene derivative was investigated by (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that trans-[C14mimAzo]Br has less negative interaction energy, which is beneficial to aggregate formation in water. The incorporation of trans-azobenzene group increases the hydrophobicity of the headgroup and reduces the electrostatic repulsion by delocalization of charge, which are beneficial to the formation of vesicles. However, the bend of cis-azobenzene makes the cis-isomers have no ability to accumulate tightly, which induces the rupture of vesicles. Our work paves a convenient way to achieve controlled topologies and self-assembly of single SAIL.

Reversible Switching of Amphiphilic Self-Assemblies of Ionic Liquids between Micelle and Vesicle by CO2

The creation of CO2-responsive materials that undergo structural transition between micelle and vesicle is of great importance from both theoretical and practical points of view. In this work, we have developed a series of CO2-responsive single-tailed amphiphilic ionic liquids (ILs) composed of N-alkyl-N-methyldiethanolamine cation [CnMDEA](+) (n = 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18) and 2-pyrrolidinone [2-Pyr](-) anion. The aggregation behavior and self-assembly structures of the ILs in aqueous solution have been investigated by conductivity, surface tension, dynamic light scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. For the first time, CO2 driven reversible switching of self-assembly between spherical micelle and unilamellar vesicle is found for [CnMDEA][2-Pyr] (n = 16, 18) in aqueous solutions at 20 °C and atmospheric pressure. It is shown that the mechanism behind the reversible micelle to vesicle transition involves the formation of carbamate anion from the reaction between [2-Pyr](-) and CO2.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of pH-sensitive PEG-I-dC16 block polymer micelles for anticancer drug delivery

Objectives

To develop an acid trigger release of antitumour drug delivery carriers, pH-sensitive amphiphilic poly (ethyleneglycol)-imine-benzoic-dipalmitate (PEG-I-dC16) polymers were designed and synthesized and the drug-loaded micelles were evaluated in vitro.

Methods

PEG-I-dC16 synthesized by Schiff base synthetic method and characterized by 1H-NMR. To determine the drug-loading capacity, doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated in the micelles using membrane dialysis method. Zeta potential, particle size, drug-loading capacity, in vitro drug release in different pH conditions and cytotoxicity evaluation of micelles were carried out comparing with non-acid liable PEG–amide–benzoic–dipalmitate (PEG-A-dC16) polymers micelles. The cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of DOX were detected by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope.

Key findings

Drug-loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of micelle (PEG molecular weight 2k) were 12.7 ± 1.1% and 49.8 ± 2.2%, respectively. The average particle size was 72.3 ± 2.5 nm. The DOX release rate of PEG-I-dC16 micelles is much higher at pH 6.5 than at pH 7.4. DOX cellular uptake and nuclear accumulation of PEG-I-dC16 micelles were more efficiency than that of PEG-A-dC16 micelles.

Conclusion

The pH-sensitive PEG-I-dC16 micelles could be a promising drug delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Hemolysis by surfactants--A review

An overview of the use of surfactants for erythrocyte lysis and their cell membrane action mechanisms is given. Erythrocyte membrane characteristics and its association with the cell cytoskeleton are presented in order to complete understanding of the erythrocyte membrane distortion. Cell homeostasis disturbances caused by surfactants might induce changes starting from shape modification to cell lysis. Two main mechanisms are hypothesized in literature which are osmotic lysis and lysis by solubilization even if the boundary between them is not clearly defined. Another specific mechanism based on the formation of membrane pores is suggested in the particular case of saponins. The lytic potency of a surfactant is related to its affinity for the membrane and the modification of the lipid membrane curvature. This is to be related to the surfactant shape defined by its hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties but also by experimental conditions. As a consequence, prediction of the hemolytic potency of a given surfactant is challenging. Several studies are focused on the relation between surfactant erythrolytic potency and their physico-chemical parameters such as the critical micellar concentration (CMC), the hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB), the surfactant membrane/water partition coefficient (K) or the packing parameter (P). The CMC is one of the most important factors considered even if a lytic activity cut-off effect points out that the only consideration of CMC not enough predictive. The relation K.CMC must be considered in addition to the CMC to predict the surfactant lytic capacity within the same family of non ionic surfactant. Those surfactant structure/lytic activity studies demonstrate the requirement to take into account a combination of physico-chemical parameters to understand and foresee surfactant lytic potency.

Surface Activity and Aggregation Behavior of Siloxane-Based Ionic Liquids in Aqueous Solution

Six novel siloxane-based surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs)--siloxane ammonium carboxylate [Si(n)N(2)-CA(1), (n = 3, 4)]--were designed and synthesized. Their melting points, surface activities, and self-aggregation behavior in aqueous solution were studied. The results showed that because of the bulky hydrophobic siloxane chains at the end of the tail, all six siloxane-based SAILs are room-temperature ionic liquids (RT-SAILs). The introduction of the siloxane group can reduce the melting point of ionic liquids to below room temperature and can promote the micellization and aggregation behavior more efficiently. These siloxane-based SAILs can greatly reduce the surface tension of water, as shown by the critical aggregation concentration (γCAC) values of 20 mN·m(-1); all six siloxane RT-SAILs can form a vesicle spontaneously in aqueous solution, indicating potential uses as model systems for biomembranes and vehicles for drug delivery.

Controlled self-assembly of a pyrene-based bolaamphiphile by acetate ions: from nanodisks to nanofibers by fluorescence enhancement

In this paper, a pyrene moiety is incorporated into a bolaamphiphile to form a novel molecule denoted PRB. Above the critical micelle concentration, PRB forms nanodisks in the aqueous solution. The addition of acetate ions induces a morphological change in self-assembled aggregates, which convert into nanofibers with a diameter of several nanometers. More interestingly, along with the morphological change, the fluorescence of the assemblies was enhanced concomitantly, which can be attributed to the binding effect of acetate ions on pyridinium head groups of PRB.

pH triggered self-assembly structural transition of ionic liquids in aqueous solutions: smart use of pH-responsive additives

The pH responsive fluids consisting of single-chain ionic liquid surfactants [C_nmim]Br (n = 12, 14) and hydrotropes can reversibly transform from spherical micelles to vesicles then to spherical micelles again with the change of the solution pH value.

Investigation on the aggregation behavior of photo-responsive system composed of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide and 2-methoxycinnamic acid

Mechanism of the aggregation behavior for the photo-responsive system composed of 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide and 2-methoxycinnamic acid.

Phase behavior and microstructures in a mixture of anionic Gemini and cationic surfactants

We report in this work the phase behavior and microstructures in a mixture of an anionic Gemini surfactant, sodium dilauramino cystine (SDLC), and a conventional cationic surfactant, dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DTAC). Observation of the appearance shows that the phase behavior of the SDLC-DTAC mixed cationic surfactant system transforms from an isotropic homogeneous phase to an aqueous surfactant two-phase system (ASTP) and then to an anisotropic homogeneous phase with the continuous addition of DTAC. The corresponding aggregate microstructures are investigated by rheology, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and polarization microscopy. It has been found that a wormlike micelle, in the isotropic homogeneous phase, occurs linear to the branch growth. The aggregate microstructures in the ASTP lower and upper phases are branched wormlike micelles and vesicles, respectively. The micelle transformed into a vesicle upon varying the phase volume percentage until a lamellar liquid crystal formed in the anisotropic homogeneous phase. The macroscopic phase behavior and microscopic aggregate structure are related to the understanding of the possible mechanisms for the above phenomena.

The formation of host-guest complexes between surfactants and cyclodextrins

Cyclodextrins are able to act as host molecules in supramolecular chemistry with applications ranging from pharmaceutics to detergency. Among guest molecules surfactants play an important role with both fundamental and practical applications. The formation of cyclodextrin/surfactant host-guest compounds leads to an increase in the critical micelle concentration and in the solubility of surfactants. The possibility of changing the balance between several intermolecular forces, and thus allowing the study of, e.g., dehydration and steric hindrance effects upon association, makes surfactants ideal guest molecules for fundamental studies. Therefore, these systems allow for obtaining a deep insight into the host-guest association mechanism. In this paper, we review the influence on the thermodynamic properties of CD-surfactant association by highlighting the effect of different surfactant architectures (single tail, double-tailed, gemini and bolaform), with special emphasis on cationic surfactants. This is complemented with an assessment of the most common analytical techniques used to follow the association process. The applied methods for computation of the association stoichiometry and stability constants are also reviewed and discussed; this is an important point since there are significant discrepancies and scattered data for similar systems in the literature. In general, the surfactant-cyclodextrin association is treated without reference to the kinetics of the process. However, there are several examples where the kinetics of the process can be investigated, in particular those where volumes of the CD cavity and surfactant (either the tail or in special cases the head group) are similar in magnitude. This will also be critically reviewed.

One-step template-directed synthesis of walnut-kernel- and tremella-like silica spheres composed of U-shaped mesoporous structures based on pH-induced colloid aggregation

WKSS and TSS composed of U-shaped mesoporous structures were fabricated by a pH-induced colloid aggregation method with mixtures of CTAB and SDS used as templates.

Effect of pH and oxygen atom of the hydrophobic chain on the self-assembly property and morphology of the pyridyl boronic acid based amphiphiles

The surface activity and aggregation behavior of two synthesized boronic acid based anionic surfactants, sodium salt of 2-dodecyl pyridine-5-boronic acid (SDDPB) and sodium salt of 2-oxydodecyl pyridine-5-boronic acid (SODDPB), were studied in buffer solution at pH 9 and 13 containing carbohydrates. The self-assembly formation was investigated by use of a number of techniques including surface tension, conductivity, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both of the amphiphiles exhibit a single break in the surface tension vs log(concentration) plots, indicating existence of one critical aggregation concentration. Steady state fluorescence spectroscopy was used to determine the polarity indexes using pyrene and the rigidity of the microenvironments of the aggregates using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) as fluorescence probe molecules. The pKa's of both amphiphiles were determined in buffer solutions of different pH's. XRD studies were performed to shed light on the morphology of the self-assemblies. TEM micrographs revealed the existence of vesicles for both the amphiphiles in buffer solution of pH 9, but at pH 13, TEM pictures indicate the existence of closed vesicles in SDDPB solution and at concentrated solution the vesicles are fused to form sponge-like micelles. After aging the vesicular solution of pH 13 of SDDPB, the closed vesicles are destroyed. In contrast, for SODDPB at pH 13, TEM pictures suggest the existence of spherical and complex micelles in solution which were further transformed into crystal-like structure upon aging. The average hydrodynamic radii were determined by dynamic light scattering measurement. Therefore, for the first time, we have successfully synthesized two new surfactants containing pyridyl-boronic acid as a headgroup which shows remarkable tuning of morphology in two different pH's and in the presence of two different carbohydrates.