Morphology, Thermal Behavior, and Stability of Self-Assembled Supramolecular Tubules from Lysine-Based Surfactants

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Rodrigo O Brito (Author) Other; Isabel S Oliveira (Author) Other; Maria J Araujo (Author) FCUP; Eduardo F Marques (Author) FCUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Physical Chemistry B

Vol. 117

Pages: 9400-9411

ISSN: 1520-6106

Publisher: American Chemical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 18 Citations

Scopus - 18 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

Associated Projects

115212_2009 - Uma nova abordagem à veiculação de fármacos: lipossomas cataniónicos e nanotubos baseados em derivados de aminoácidos

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-86Y

DOI: 10.1021/jp400127k

Abstract (EN): Synthetic amino acid-based surfactants possess versatile aggregation properties and are typically more biocompatible and biodegradable than surfactants with conventional headgroups. This opens the possibility of a myriad of specialty applications, namely in pharmaceutics, cosmetics, biomedicine, and nanotemplating chemistry. In this work, we have investigated the interfacial and self-assembling properties in aqueous medium of novel double-chained lysine-based surfactants, with particular focus on the behavior of the dodecyl derivative, 12Lys12. Upon cooling from dilute isotropic micellar solutions, this surfactant crystallizes into micrometer-sized tubular structures that induce gelation of the system. The tubules have been characterized in terms of morphology, assembly process, thermal behavior, and stability, by using differential scanning calorimetry, light and scanning electron microscopy, and deuterium NMR. Possible mechanisms for tubule assembly are discussed, on the basis of surfactant molecular shape, H-bonding and electrostatic interactions, and chirality effects.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific