Surfactant Vesicles: Formation, Properties, and Stability

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2010

Authors

Eduardo F. Marques (Author) FCUP

Book

Title: Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science

2º Edition

Pages: 1-20

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

CORDIS: Physical sciences > Chemistry > Physical chemistry > Surface chemistry

Other information

DOI: 10.1081/ESCS-120044888

Abstract (EN): Even though the phase science of polar lipids and non-natural surfactants are research fields that had been academically separated for a long time, it has become clear in the past two decades or so that liposomes and surfactant vesicles are the same colloidal structures whose behavior is governed by the same self-assembly principles. In this entry we will first tackle basic structural and dynamic aspects of the vesicle assembly, then proceeding to the various ways by which lipid and surfactant vesicles can be prepared, broadly dividing them as spontaneous and non-spontaneous methods. The wealth of surfactant vesicles in terms of chemical composition is then explored, comprising both single-surfactant and mixed surfactant systems, with special focus on the so-called catanionic vesicles and their properties. The transformation of micelles into vesicles and vice versa through manipulation of experimental variables is also described owing to its relevance in both liposome and vesicle fields. The issue of vesicle stability (thermodynamic vs. kinetic) is a challenging topic from a colloidal point of view, both theoretically and experimentally, and a section will be dedicated to it. The current most insightful models, based on the interplay between non-zero spontaneous curvature, bending moduli, and translational entropy, will be discussed. Finally, we will briefly mention biomedical and other technical applications for surfactant vesicles.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific