Nonaqueous Emulsion Polycondensation Enabled by a Self-Assembled Cage-like Surfactant

Nonaqueous emulsions are crucial for a range of applications based on water-sensitive systems such as controlled polymerizations requiring anhydrous reaction conditions and the stabilization of readily hydrolyzable reagents or pharmacologically active components. However, defined molecular surfactants to stabilize such nonaqueous emulsions are scarce. We introduce a self-assembled coordination cage, decorated with cholesterol functionalities, to serve as a molecular surfactant for various oil-in-oil emulsions of immiscible organic solvents. While the positively charged cage forms the amphiphile's polar moiety, the non-polar cholesterol appendices can bend in a common direction to stabilize the emulsion. Templated by the droplets, polycondensation reactions were carried out to produce microstructured polyurethane and polyurea materials of different particle sizes and morphologies. Further, the amphiphilic cage can encapsulate a guest molecule and the resulting host-guest assembly was also examined as a surfactant. In addition, the aggregation behavior of the amphiphilic cage in an aqueous medium was examined.     

Polymerisation of liquid crystalline phases in binary surfactant/water systems

The polymerisation of a polymerisable fatty acid surfactant (sodium 10-undecenoate) has been studied in both its self-assembled and non self-assembled forms. Polymerisation in non self-assembled solution was achieved to near completion. The polymerisation produces a surface active polymer. The self-assembling behaviour of this pre-polymerised form differs markedly from that observed for the monomeric surfactant [1]. A lamellar phase only is formed in the polymeric phase diagram with no hexagonal or lamellar gel phases being observed. Polymerisation in the different self-assembled forms of sodium 10-undecenoate reached a limit of approximately 30% only, i.e., the surfactant aggregates act to inhibit the polymerisation. The nature of the hydrocarbon chain was found to play a critical role in determining the effect that polymerisation had on the underlying geometry of the surfactant molecules. When the chains are in a fluid-like state (as for the micellar and hexagonal phases) the original monomeric matrix remains largely unchanged. Whereas partial polymerisation of the lamellar gel phase results in a phase transformation.In addition the hydrolysis of the fatty acid soap at low concentrations (close to the critical micelle concentration) has been investigated. Hydrolysis was shown to produce both the parent fatty acid and an acid soap dimer. The presence of these species greatly affects the solution behaviour in this region of the phase diagram shifting the critical micelle concentration to very high concentrations of sodium 10-undecenoate (ca. 0.4 M).     

The photodimerization of a cinnamoyl moiety derivative in dilute solution based on the intramolecular chain interaction of gemini surfactant

A Gemini surfactant, sodium N, N'-di(4-n-butyloxy cinnamoly)-L-cystine, containing a cinnamoyl moiety in the alkyl chains and disulfide bond in the spacer was designed and synthesized. The incorporation of a cinnamoyl moiety into the alkyl chains of Gemini surfactant makes it easy to probe the conformational information of the amphiphile molecule. The UV/vis absorption spectra and steady-state fluorescence were investigated at a concentration far below the critical micelle concentration (cmc). Both blue-shift of absorption and red-shift of fluorescence emission spectra indicate the existence of intramolecular interaction between the two alkyl chains in Gemini surfactant in the singly dispersed state. Results based on the breakdown of the disulfide bond by dithiotheritol (DTT) further confirmed the conclusion. Moreover, the characteristic of intramolecular chain interaction in Gemini surfactant improves the topochemical geometrical requirements of cinnamoyl moiety and increases the local concentration of reactant in dilute solution. Utilizing the incorporation of cinnamoyl moiety into the alkyl chains of Gemini surfactant, the cinnamoyl moiety upon irradiation undergoes dimerization in dilute aqueous solution with high yield of 78%.     

ABSORPTION SPECTRA AND ACID-BASE DISSOCIATION OF THE 4-ALKYL DERIVATIVES OF 7-HYDROXYCOUMARIN IN SELF-ASSEMBLED SURFACTANT SOLUTION: COMMENTS ON THEIR USE AS ELECTROSTATIC SURFACE POTENTIAL PROBES

Abstract— The absorption spectra of the un-ionized and ionized forms of 4-heptadecyl-7-hydroxycoumarin (HHC) in aqueous self-assembled surfactant solution have been investigated. From a comparison with the absorption spectra of 7-hydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (MHC) and HHC in neat organic solvents and organic solvent/water mixtures it is shown that the 7-hydroxycoumarin chromophore of HHC in self-assembled surfactant solution resides, on average, in an interfacial microenvironment which has a lower effective dielectric constant than that of the bulk aqueous solution. The absorption spectrum of the ionized form of HHC in aggregates of self-assembled surfactant molecules with cationic quaternary ammonium headgroups is found to be consistent with there being specific molecular interaction between the anionic chromophore and the quaternary ammonium headgroup. pH titrations performed with MHC in pure water and in four molar aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and tetra-methylammonium chloride indicate that the acid-base dissociation of HHC in charged micelles and vesicles should not be substantially influenced by any interfacial salt-effects, and that the acid-base dissociation of HHC in cationic micelles and vesicles with quaternary ammonium headgroups should not be markedly affected by the specific molecular interaction that exists. Estimates of the electrostatic surface potentials of a number of self-assembled surfactant aggregates are made by utilising the acid-base dissociation of HHC and assuming that the nonionic micelles of n -dodecyl octaoxyethylene glycol monoether (C₁₂E₈) can serve as a reference state of zero surface potential. The validity of this assumption in relation to both micelles and vesicles is discussed in detail.     

离子型表面活性剂自组装体系在化学中的应用

本文介绍了离子型表面活性剂在氧化物表面自组装体系的原理及特点,离子型表面活性剂分子从溶液中自发地吸附到氧化物表面形成单分子胶束、双分子胶束和混合胶束,该体系对许多疏水性有机化合物以及经螯合有机基团的金属离子具有很强的吸附富集作用,本文根据不同自组装体系的结构分类详述了它们在分析化学和环境化学中应用研究,并且展望了该技术的应用前景。     

Self-assembled lamellar structures with functionalized single wall carbon nanotubes

Highly ordered self-assembled multi-layer structures with denatured collagen wrapped single wall carbon nanotubes and surfactant systems were obtained through bioinspired methodology.     

Adsorption of ethoxylated cationic surfactants on self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols on gold using surface plasmon resonance detection

Adsorption of a series of ethoxylated cationic surfactants at model surfaces of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers was studied by the surface plasmon resonance technique. Model surfaces were tailor-made by choosing alkanethiols or mixtures of alkanethiols with methyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and trimethylammonium groups in terminal position. The ethoxylated and quaternized cationic surfactants having from 2 to 18 oxyethylene units, showed a decrease in adsorbed amount with increasing oxyethylene chain length for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. On a negatively charged surface, containing carboxylate groups, the surfactant with only two oxyethylene groups adsorbed strongly due to electrostatic attraction and the adsorption increased with increasing amount of surface carboxylate groups. This work shows the usefulness of self-assembled alkanethiols on gold as a tool for performing surfactant adsorption studies on surfaces with variable hydrophobicity and charge.     

MCM-48介孔材料相转化合成的形成机制

利用水热合成的方法,使用新型的表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基对苯磺酸盐作为模板剂合成了高质量的MCM-48介孔分子筛,并用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)以及N₂吸附-脱附进行了表征。合成过程的研究表明该合成体系经历了三相,起始相为具有六方对称性的MCM-41,随着加热时间的延长,生成了具有立方对称性的MCM-48,进一步延长加热时间则生成了层状相MCM-50。三相转变发生的核心驱动力来自于表面活性剂有效堆积参数g因子的改变。另外,XRD、傅立叶变换的红外光谱(FT-IR)以及固体魔角自旋核磁共振(²⁹Si MAS NMR)的表征结果证明：随着晶化时间的延长,相转变的同时伴随着介孔材料的孔壁逐渐由原子无序的非晶态向原子有序的晶态结构转变。最终形成的原子有序层状介孔分子筛可以作为扩孔型微孔分子筛合成的有效前驱体。     

Effect of Surfactant Addition on the Structure of Silver Aggregates Produced by Galvanic Cell Reaction and Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces

The effect of cationic or anionic surfactant on the structure of the silver particles produced by galvanic cell reaction is studied. In the absence of any surfactant, both spherical and spindle-like Ag particles are produced, which exhibit binary structures with both micro- and nanoscale characteristics. Addition of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in the reaction solution results in the formation of spherical Ag particles with much smaller sizes. While anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) results in the spindle-like Ag particles. Moreover, the rough Ag surfaces can be easily fabricated by direct deposition of the Ag aggregates onto the silicon surface from solution. After further chemisorption of a self-assembled monolayer of n-dodecanethiol, the Ag aggregates exhibit superhydrophobic properties.     

Electroactive self-assembled monolayers of unique geometric structures by using rigid norbornylogous bridges

Herein, we describe the synthesis of straight (S) and L-shaped (L) norbornylogous bridges (NBs) with an anthraquinone moiety at the distal end as the redox-active head group and two thiol feet at the proximal end, by which the molecules assemble on gold surfaces. The NB molecules were shown to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with a well-behaved surface redox process. The SAMs were characterized by using in situ IR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, scanning tunnelling microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surface selection rules associated with the IR band intensities allowed the estimation of the position of the anthraquinone moiety with respect to the surface and the tilt of the bridge with respect to the surface normal, both in pure and diluted monolayers. It is shown that the S- and L-NBs hold the plane of the anthraquinone moiety close to the surface normal or the surface tangent, respectively. Neither NB molecule changes its orientation if spaced by diluents on the surface. The difference in the structure of the S- and L-NB SAMs provides a suitable framework for the investigation of factors that govern electron transfer of anthraquinone moieties across self-assembled monolayers with limited structural ambiguity, as compared with the commonly used structurally flexible alkanethiol monolayers.     

环境刺激响应型表面活性剂*

表面活性剂在溶液中可通过自组装形成胶束、囊泡、液晶等多种有序结构。这些有序自组装结构在催化化学、材料制备、生物医药等领域有着重要而广泛的用途。控制和改变表面活性剂在溶液中的聚集方式对表面活性剂的应用具有重要的意义。近年来,通过对外界环境的调控来改变表面活性剂的物理化学性能如表面张力、聚集形式等研究已成为表面活性剂研究的一个新方向。本文以外界环境变化对表面活性剂在溶液中的聚集方式的影响为基础,介绍了可对环境刺激产生响应的表面活性剂的种类、结构、性能及研究进展,并总结了它们的结构与环境刺激响应性能之间的关系。     

Foam films as instrumentation in the study of amphiphile self-assembly

A survey on recent experimental investigations of microscopic foam films containing self-assembled amphiphilic structures is presented. A specific advantage of the microscopic film techniques is that the fine control of system parameters allows the estimation of the consecutive changes of film properties for low surfactant content and extremely small concentration changes. This gives a unique possibility to reach amphiphile quantities when initial onset of self-assembly is to be observed. The film characteristics are investigated via microinterferometric method, which operates with the measuring cell of Scheludko-Exerowa. The experimental set is additionally improved by including video-recording and consecutive image analysis. The results show the following: (1) Unstable black patterns (dots and spots) are observed; they have very short lifetimes and the films, which contain them rupture quickly. (2) Several of the kinetic characteristics of the films display a sharp change within a narrow surfactant concentration range. The experiments are interpreted on the basis of the assumption that a series of smaller self-assembled aggregates (premicelles) with various geometries exist at the interfaces and inside the thin film. The proposed theoretical scheme puts forward a mechanism connecting the formation of unstable black patterns (dots and spots) with the reorganization and destruction of the existing surfactant assemblies both in the bulk of the film and on the interfaces. The results suggest that the observed unstable black formations may serve as indicators for the presence of surfactant structures in amphiphilic solutions and the microscopic foam-film techniques has a serious potential as a prospective instrumentation in the study of amphiphilic self-assemblies.     

MCM-48介孔材料相转化合成的形成机制

利用水热合成的方法,使用新型的表面活性剂十六烷基三甲基对苯磺酸盐作为模板剂合成了高质量的MCM-48介孔分子筛,并用X-射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)以及N₂吸附-脱附进行了表征。合成过程的研究表明该合成体系经历了三相,起始相为具有六方对称性的MCM-41,随着加热时间的延长,生成了具有立方对称性的MCM-48,进一步延长加热时间则生成了层状相MCM-50。三相转变发生的核心驱动力来自于表面活性剂有效堆积参数g因子的改变,随着反应时间的延长,由于对甲基苯磺酸根离子（Tos^-）的流失,表面活性剂极性头所占的有效面积（a₀）明显减小,g值变大。另外,XRD、傅立叶变换的红外光谱(FT-IR)以及固体魔角自旋核磁共振(²⁹Si MAS NMR)的表征结果证明：随着晶化时间的延长,相转变的同时伴随着介孔材料的孔壁逐渐由原子无序的非晶态向原子有序的晶态结构转变。最终形成的原子有序层状介孔分子筛可以作为扩孔型微孔分子筛合成的有效前驱体。     

Mechanochromic luminescent property of a polypeptide-based dendron

We report herein the mechanochromic luminescent property of a dendritic polypeptide with a fluorescent aromatic moiety at the focal point. The different luminescent property of 1 under mechanical stimulus is attributed to the switch of self-assembled structures. Moreover, the photoluminescence property of 1 also depends on the thermal history.     

Polymerisation of liquid crystalline phases in binary surfactant/water systems

The binary phase behaviour of two potentially polymerisable quaternary ammonium surfactants in water has been investigated. Allyldodecyldimethylammonium bromide (ADAB) a single-chain surfactant displays a conventional phase progression upon increasing concentration. Whereas the doublechain analogue allyldidodecylmethylammonium bromide (ADDAB) forms two lamellar liquid crystalline phases built from surfactant bilayers, which transform via a first order phase transition. The formation of two distinct lamellar phases and their coexistence has been evidenced by optical microscopy, small-angle x-ray scattering and D₂O deuterium quadrupolar nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The lamellar phase formed at higher surfactant compositions is a normal lamellar phase (typeL ) consisting of bilayers which are on average parallel and flat. The lower compositional lamellar phase (typeL ) in contrast may not be comprised of planar bilayers but rather aggregates having a high degree of curvature in comparison to those of theL phase. The presence of the allyl polymerisable moiety in the head group position of these surfactants has the effect of reducing the rigidity of the surfactant and increasing its solubility in comparison to nonpolymerisable analogues. Polymerisation of the surfactants was attempted by using thermal and photochemical initiation in isotropic and self-assembled systems. Polymerisation occurred to approximately 30% for DADB but did not occur for ADDAB. Where polymerisation did occur the polymer was incorporated into the monomer matrix by interweaving between the surfactant aggregates. The polymers had a molecular wieght not greater than 8000 Daltons, independent of the monomer concentration of the original solution and type of polymerisation.     

Molecularly ordered inorganic frameworks in layered silicate surfactant mesophases.

Self-assembled lamellar silica-surfactant mesophase composites have been prepared with crystal-like ordering in the silica frameworks using a variety of cationic surfactant species under hydrothermal conditions. These materials represent the first mesoscopically ordered composites that have been directly synthesized with structure-directing surfactants yielding highly ordered inorganic frameworks. One-dimensional solid-state 29Si NMR spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, and infrared spectra show the progression of molecular organization in the self-assembled mesophases from structures with initially amorphous silica networks into sheets with very high degrees of molecular order. The silicate sheets appear to be two-dimensional crystals, whose structures and rates of formation depend strongly on the charge density of the cationic surfactant headgroups. Two-dimensional solid-state heteronuclear and homonuclear NMR measurements show the molecular proximities of the silica framework sites to the structure-directing surfactant molecules and establish local Si-O-Si bonding connectivities in these materials.     

Stereoselective self-assembly of atropoisomeric Pd(II) metallocycles induced by an aromatic guest

A new dinuclear Pd(II) metallocycle consisting of a 4,4'-bipyridin-1-ium ligand with a quinoline moiety was self-assembled in aqueous solution with the aid of template molecules; the situation found in solution in which both syn and anti or only the anti atropoisomers are observed strongly relies on the intermolecular host-guest interactions.     

Nanoparticle self-assembled hollow TiO(2) spheres with well matching visible light scattering for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells

Submicrometer-sized hollow TiO(2) spheres are directly self-assembled from TiO(2) nanoparticles without using any template or surfactant as a scattering layer for dye-sensitized solar cells, showing good visible light scattering match to significantly improve the photoconversion efficiency.     

Functional organotrimethoxysilane derivative with strong intermolecular pi-pi interaction: one-pot grafting reaction on oxidized silicon substrates

Although the fabrication of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on an oxidized silicon substrate with special functionality is an important topic for various applications, it is still very difficult to obtain a densely grafted monolayer. With a newly synthesized organotrimethoxysilane containing a 1-cyano-1,2-bisbiphenyl-ethylene (CNMBE) moiety which provides a strong pi-pi intermolecular interaction, an SAM of well-ordered structure is readily obtained by a one-pot grafting reaction under mild conditions. The aggregation process of the CNMBE moiety, which induced a close packing of organosilane on the substrate, was visually monitored by the fluorescence of the monolayer grafted on quartz.     

Synthesis of Crown Ether-tethered b-Cyclodextrin and Fabrication of Its Self-assembled Monolayer on Gold Surface

A number of cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives and crown ethers have been designed and synthesized in order to examine their molecular/ions recognition mechanics and control molecular assembly and self-assembly. However, CD derivatives linked by crown ether have rarely been synthesized and their molecular assembly has not been extensively investigated1. In the present communication, we report the synthesis of 4', 5'-dimercap -tomethylene-benzo-15-crown-5 tethered b-cyclodextrin and its self-asse…