Segregation and phase transition in mixed lipid films

Energy dispersion X-ray diffraction (EDXD) was applied to investigate the structure of partly dehydrated mixed films formed by the phospholipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylcoline (DMPC) and any of the three diastereomers of the dicationic gemini surfactant (2S,3S)-2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-bis(N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium) butane dibromide. As the surfactant to lipid molar ratio (R(S/L)) increases, the gemini monotonically solubilizes the lipid bilayer promoting the formation of a cubic phase of space group Pmn segregating from the residual lamellar phase of the lipid. Finally, at R(S/)(L) = 1, the phase transition is complete. The mixed film at the highest surfactant to lipid molar ratio (R(S/L) = 2.3) was hydrated by a vapor saturated atmosphere. At full hydration, a cubic to lamellar phase transition occurs. Coarse grain dynamic investigations, carried out as a function of both the surfactant to lipid molar ratio and the number of water molecules for amphiphile unit, allowed us to elucidate the structure of the emerging cubic phase and the hydration-induced structural pathway of the cubic to lamellar phase transition observed by EDXD.     

Phase polymorphism by mixing of poly(oxyethylene)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) copolymer and nonionic surfactant in water

The phase behavior of the water/poly(oxyethylene)-poly(dimethylsiloxane) copolymer (Si25C3EO51.6)/pentaoxyethylene dodecyl ether (C12EO5) ternary system has been studied. Both the silicone copolymer and the surfactant have equal volumes of hydrophilic and lipophilic parts; i.e., these are balanced amphiphiles. Although only a lamellar phase is observed in water-Si25C3EO51.6 and water-C12EO5 binary systems, a variety of liquid crystalline phases, including normal micellar cubic (I1), hexagonal (H1), bicontinuous cubic (V1), lamellar (L(alpha)), reverse bicontinuous cubic (V2), and reverse hexagonal (H2), are observed in the copolymer-rich region of the ternary phase diagram. The small C12EO5 molecules dissolve at the hydrophobic interface in the thick bilayer of the Si25C3EO51.6 L(alpha) phase occupying a large area of the total interface of the aggregates and modulate the curvature of the aggregates. Hence a variety of self-assembled structures are observed. In contrast, Si25C3EO51.6 is not dissolved in the thin bilayer of the C12EO5 lamellar phase (L'(alpha)). Hence, the C12EO5 L'(alpha) phase coexists with copolymer-rich L(alpha) and H2 phases. Consequently, small surfactant molecules are dissolved in a large silicone copolymer aggregate to induce a change in layer curvature, but a large copolymer molecule is hard to incorporate with surfactant aggregates.     

Diamond-type lipid cubic phase with large water channels

This paper describes a diamond cubic phase with large water channels and determines the temperature dependence of the bilayer thickness in the cubic monoolein/octylglucoside/water system based on time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction data. The X-ray diffraction study established a diamond-type lipid cubic phase with large water channels (Dlarge), which has not been previously reported. It is a distinct phase, different from the diamond cubic phase with normal water channels (Dnormal). The larger channels might allow an enhanced entrapment efficiency of biomolecules in lipid cubic phases. The X-ray diffraction patterns recorded during a thermal scan showed a cubic-cubic structural transition from Dlarge to Dnormal. The obtained cubic phases displayed much larger lattice spacings as compared to those of pure monoolein at full hydration.     

MOLECULAR AGGREGATION IN LIPID-WATER DISPERSION PHASES

Polar lipids from aqueous liquid-crystalline phases which are the basis for the understanding of their functionality in technical applications. The structural characteristics of these phases and the relation between chemical structure of lipid molecules and their phase properties are reviewed. Special attention is given to new results on cubic phases, the most complex of lipid-water phases. The lipid bilayer is curved in space so that there are no selfintersections. There are two water-channel systems separated by the bilayer. The characteristic feature of the cubic phases is that the lipid bilayer has zero average curvature in all points.     

Polymorphic transitions mediated by surfactants in liquid crystal nanodroplet

Recently, various techniques have been developed using photonic crystals. Liquid crystals (LC) confined in a nanodroplet mimicked photonic crystals, such as those of opal. Therefore, investigating the phase behaviour of LC molecules in nanodroplets is very important in the next-generation optical field. In this study, the chemical interaction between surfactants and LCs in nanodroplets is reproduced using a dissipative particle dynamics method. We identify the phase behaviour of LCs and investigate how the chemical interaction affect on the orientation of LCs. In particular, by adding surfactant molecules, various morphological behaviours were observed in the LC nanodroplet. The phase transition temperature varied depending on R_ND (amount of surfactant molecules). Furthermore, difference of the self-assembly structure also appeared inside the droplet depending on R_ND. Our simulation offers a theoretical guide to control morphologies of self-assembled LCs inside a nanodroplet, a novel system that may find applications in nanofluidic devices or in photonic crystal technology.     

Thin films of bicontinuous cubic mesostructured silica templated by a nonionic surfactant

Thin films ofbicontinuous cubic mesostructured silica were formed using the nonionic poly(oxyethylene)-alkyl ether surfactant Brij-56 as a structure-directing agent. The synthesis conditions were chosen such that the estimated volume fraction of surfactant in the silica/surfactant films corresponded approximately to the composition at which the bicontinuous cubic phase occurs in the water/surfactant phase diagram. Small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal that the cubic phase corresponds to the Ia3(-)d double-gyroid structure, with some distortion due to anisotropic film shrinkage. The cubic structure grows as faceted domains that are well-oriented with respect to the substrate and often occur in coexistence with a lamellar phase. By adjusting the temperature at which the films are aged, it is possible to create films with 2D hexagonal, cubic, or lamellar structures at a single composition.     

Solubilization of hydrophobic guest molecules in the monoolein discontinuous QL cubic mesophase and its soft nanoparticles

Hydrophobic bioactive guest molecules were solubilized in the discontinuous cubic mesophase (QL) of monoolein. Their effects on the mesophase structure and thermal behavior, and on the formation of soft nanoparticles upon dispersion of the bulk mesophase were studied. Four additives were analyzed. They were classified into two types based on their presumed location within the lipid bilayer and their influence on the phase behavior and structure. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polarized light microscopy, cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used for the analysis. We found that carbamazepine and cholesterol (type I molecules) likely localize in the hydrophobic domains, but close to the hydrophobic-hydrophilic region. They induce strong perturbation to the mesophase packing by influencing both the order of the lipid acyl chains and interactions between lipid headgroups. This results in significant reduction of the phase transition enthalpy, and phase separation into lamellar and cubic mesophases above the maximum loading capacity. The inclusion of type I molecules in the mesophase also prevents the formation of soft nanoparticles with long-range internal order upon dispersion. In their presence, only vesicles or sponge-like nanoparticles form. Phytosterols and coenzyme Q10 (type II molecules) present only moderate effects. These molecules reside in the hydrophobic domains, where they cannot alter the lipid curvature or transform the QL mesophase into another phase. Therefore, above maximum loading, excess solubilizate precipitates in crystal forms. Moreover, when type II-loaded QL is dispersed, nanoparticles with long-range order and cubic symmetry (i.e., cubosomes) do form. A model for the growth of the ordered nanoparticles was developed from a series of intermediate structures identified by cryo-TEM. It proposes the development of the internal structure by fusion events between bilayer segments.     

Modeling liquid crystal bilayer structures with minimal surfaces

This paper describes a new convenient and accurate method of calculating x-ray diffraction integrated intensities from detailed cubic bilayer structures. The method is employed to investigate the structure of a particular surfactant system (didodecyldimethylammonium bromide in a solution of oil and heavy water), for which single-crystal experimental data have recently been collected. The diffracted peak intensities correlate well with theoretical structures based on mathematical minimal surfaces. Optimized electron density profiles of the bilayer are presented, providing new insight into key features of the bilayer structure.     

The sponge phase of a mixed surfactant system

We study the sponge phase of the mixed non-ionic/ionic surfactant system C14DMAO-TTAB-hexanol-brine. Our aim is to determine if this phase exists in this mixed system and if it preserves or changes its structure when the relative amount of the charged surfactant is increased in the mixture. SAXS, FFEM, and conductivity results show that for the same bilayer volume fraction the sponge phase preserves its global structure. We propose a method to determine the geometrical obstruction factor from electrical conductivity measurements in ionic sponge phases. Analysis of lamellar phases in the same system shows that the bilayer thickness increases when the ionic surfactant concentration is increased.     

Molecular dynamics study of catanionic bilayers composed of ion pair amphiphile with double-tailed cationic surfactant

The physical stability of catanionic vesicles is important for the development of novel drug or DNA carriers. For investigating the mechanism by which catanionic vesicles are stabilized, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is an attractive approach that provides microscopic structural information on the vesicular bilayer. In this study, MD simulation was applied to investigate the bilayer properties of catanionic vesicles composed of an ion pair amphiphile (IPA), hexadecyltrimethylammonium-dodecylsulfate (HTMA-DS), and a double-tailed cationic surfactant, ditetradecyldimethylammonium chloride (DTDAC). Structural information regarding membrane elasticity and the organization and conformation of surfactant molecules was obtained based on the resulting trajectory. Simulation results showed that a proper amount of DTDAC could be used to complement the asymmetric structure between HTMA and DS, resulting in an ordered hydrocarbon chain packing within the rigid membrane observed in the mixed HTMA-DS/DTDAC system. The coexistence of gel and fluid phases was also observed in the presence of excess DTDAC. MD simulation results agreed well with results obtained from experimental studies examining mixed HTMA-DS/DTDAB vesicles.     

糖和盐类物质对生物膜超分子结构稳定性影响的研究

用原子力显微镜(AFM)和小角X射线(SAXS)技术, 研究了NaCl、KCl、胆固醇、葡萄糖和蔗糖等与膜脂的相互作用. 研究发现它们能引起脂质膜超分子体系液晶态结构的变化. 葡萄糖和蔗糖对脂双层膜结构有稳定作用. 在NaCl溶液中制成的脂质膜, 随着NaCl浓度的增加, 它们的双层膜更稳定. 在KCl溶液中结果恰好相反. AFM研究发现液晶态脂双层膜结构与双亲性分子的结构、浓度以及介质的组分和pH等因素有关. 在1,2-反十八碳-3-磷脂酰乙醇胺(DEPE)液晶态中, 钠盐诱导形成Q²²⁹(Im3m)立方相. 油酸的含量对DEPE-PVP(聚乙烯吡咯烷酮)超分子结构也有一定的影响, 当油酸含量达到某一临界值时, 则发生从Im3m(Q²²⁹)到Pn3m(Q²²⁴)的转变. 胆固醇能促使形成Pn3m(Q²²⁴)和六角相H_II共存相. 研究结果表明, 生物膜超分子聚集体的氢键、分子van der Waals力、离子的静电力等这些弱相互作用的协同性、方向性和选择性, 可能决定着生物膜的结构和功能.     

Diamond cubic phase of monoolein and water as an amphiphilic matrix for electrophoresis of oligonucleotides

We used a cubic liquid crystal formed by the nonionic monoglyceride monoolein and water as a porous matrix for the electrophoresis of oligonucleotides. The diamond cubic phase is thermodynamically stable when in contact with a water-rich phase, which we exploit to run the electrophoresis in the useful submarine mode. Oligonucleotides are separated according to size and secondary structure by migration through the space-filling aqueous nanometer pores of the regular liquid crystal, but the comparatively slow migration means the cubic phase will not be a replacement for the conventional DNA gels. However, our demonstration that the cubic phase can be used in submarine electrophoresis opens up the possibility for a new matrix for electrophoresis of amphiphilic molecules. From this perspective, the results on the oligonucleotides show that water-soluble particles of nanometer size, typical for the hydrophilic parts of membrane-bound proteins, may be a useful separation motif. A charged contamination in the commercial sample of monoolein, most likely oleic acid that arises from its hydrolysis, restricts useful buffer conditions to a pH below 5.6.     

Aromatic molecules in restricted geometries: pyrene excimer formation in an anchored bilayer

The galleries of an anionic clay, Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxide (Mg-Al LDH) have been functionalized by intercalating the anionic surfactant do-decyl sulfate. Within the galleries, the alkyl chains of the surfactant adopt a bilayer structure with the sulfate headgroup anchored to the inorganic sheet. Pyrene molecules have been solubilized in the anchored bilayer by partitioning from polar solvents. The presence of pyrene molecules induces conformational disorder in the alkyl chains of the bilayer and more importantly inhibits the rotational disordering motion of the sulfate headgroup. Pyrene fluorescence indicates formation of excimers whose intensity increases with concentration of solubilized pyrene indicating that they are mobile. Pyrene solubilized in the anchored bilayer exhibits unusual phenomena; on evacuation the excimer band disappear but reappears on releasing vacuum. It is shown that this behavior arises due to the loss of water of hydration of the headgroup on evacuation and as a consequence the pyrene moves into the less polar interior of the bilayer where it is immobile and can no longer diffuse and form excimers. The motion of pyrene into the interior of the bilayer creates free space near the surfactant chain termini, which manifests in the disappearance of the methyl-rocking mode of the ordered (-tt) end-chain conformer in the Raman spectra.     

Assembly properties of Triton X-100/phosphatidylcholine aggregates during liposome solubilization

The assembly properties of the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 and phosphatidylcholine (PC) aggregates during the overall solubilization process of PC liposome were investigated. Permeability alterations were detected as a change in 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (CF) released from the interior of vesicles and bilayer solubilization as a decrease in the static light scattered by liposome suspensions. A direct dependence was established between the bilayer/aqueous phase surfactant partition coefficients (K), the growth of vesicles and the leakage of entrapped CF in the initial interaction steps (surfactant to phospholipid molar ratioRe up to 0.2). These changes may be related to the increasing presence of surfactant molecules in the outer monolayer of vesicles. In theRe range 0.2–0.35 the coexistence of a low vesicle growth with a constant increase of CF release may be correlated with the decrease inK (increased rate of flip-flop of surfactant molecules). Furthermore, in theRe range between 0.64 and 2.0 (lytic levels) almost a linear dependence was detected between the composition of these aggregates (Re) and the decrease in both the surfactant-PC aggregate size and the static light scattered by the system. This dependence was not observed in the last solubilization steps (Re range 2.0–2.60) possibly due to the increased formation of mixed micelles in this interval. The fact that the free Triton X-100 concentration at sublytic and lytic levels showed respectively lower and similar values than its critical micelle concentration confirms that permeability alterations and solubilization were determined respectively by the action of surfactant monomer and by the formation of mixed micelles.Abbreviations PC phosphatidylcholine - PIPES piperazine-1,4 bis(2-ethanesulphonic acid) - T_X-100 Triton X-100 - CF 5(6)-carboxyflucrescein - Re enective surfactant/lipid molar ratio - Re _SAT effective surfactant/lipid molar ratio for bilayer saturation - Re _SOL enective surfactant/lipid molar ratio for bilayer solubilization - S _W surfanctant concentration in the aqueous medium - S _B surfactant concentration in the bilayers - S _T total surfactant concentration - K bilayer/aqueous phase surfactant partition coefficient - K _SAT bilayer/aqneous phase surfactant partition coefficient for bilayer saturation - K _SOL bilayer/aqueous phase surfactant partition coefficient for bilayer solubilization - PL phospholipid - TLC-FID thinlayer chromatography/flame ionization detection system - PI polydispersity index - CMC critical micellar concentration - r ² regression coefficient     

Investigations into the bending constant and edge energy of bilayers of salt-free catanionic vesicles

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we performed theoretical calculations on the curvature constant and edge energy of bilayers of salt-free, zero-charged, cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant vesicles composed of alkylammonium cations (C(m)(+)) and fatty acid anions (C(n)(-)). Both the minimum size and edge energy of vesicles were calculated to examine the relation between the length of the surfactant molecules and the mechanical properties of the catanionic bilayers. Our simulation results clearly demonstrate that, when the chain lengths of the cationic and anionic surfactants are equal, both the edge energy and the rigidity of the catanionic bilayers increase dramatically, changing from around 0.36 to 2.77 kBT·nm(-1) and around 0.86 to 6.51 kBT·nm(-1), respectively. For the smallest catanionic vesicles, the curvature is not uniform and the surfactant molecules adopt a multicurvature arrangement in the vesicle bilayers. We suspect that the multicurvature bending of bilayers of catanionic vesicles is a common phenomenon in rigid bilayer systems, which could aid understanding of ion transport through bilayer membranes.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of surfactant effects on ion transport through a liquid–liquid interface between partially miscible liquids

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of water + 1-hexanol + NaCl mixtures with and without a surfactant (methanol) were performed to analyze the surfactant's effect on the transport of a sodium ion through the liquid–liquid interface. Without surfactant, the 1-hexanol forms a bilayer at the interface with OH groups directed outward toward the aqueous phase. Addition of the surfactant produces higher concentrations of the surfactant on the aqueous side of the interface without altering the organic bilayer structure. An electrical double-layer is created in both cases as chloride ion concentration is enhanced near the interface and sodium ion concentration is enhanced toward the center of the water phase. A potential of mean force (PMF) was calculated for the transfer of a sodium ion through the interface. Although the surfactant reduced the interfacial tension, the total work required for the ion transfer increased with the addition of the surfactant.     

Calculations of and evidence for chain packing stress in inverse lyotropic bicontinuous cubic phases

Inverse bicontinuous cubic lyotropic phases are a complex solution to the dilemma faced by all self-assembled water-amphiphile systems: how to satisfy the incompatible requirements for uniform interfacial curvature and uniform molecular packing. The solution reached in this case is for the water-amphiphile interfaces to deform hyperbolically onto triply periodic minimal surfaces. We have previously suggested that although the molecular packing in these structures is rather uniform the relative phase behavior of the gyroid, double diamond, and primitive inverse bicontinuous cubic phases can be understood in terms of subtle differences in packing frustration. In this work, we have calculated the packing frustration for these cubics under the constraint that their interfaces have constant mean curvature. We find that the relative packing stress does indeed differ between phases. The gyroid cubic has the least packing stress, and at low water volume fraction, the primitive cubic has the greatest packing stress. However, at very high water volume fraction, the double diamond cubic becomes the structure with the greatest packing stress. We have tested the model in two ways. For a system with a double diamond cubic phase in excess water, the addition of a hydrophobe may release packing frustration and preferentially stabilize the primitive cubic, since this has previously been shown to have lower curvature elastic energy. We have confirmed this prediction by adding the long chain alkane tricosane to 1-monoolein in excess water. The model also predicts that if one were able to hydrate the double diamond cubic to high water volume fractions, one should destabilize the phase with respect to the primitive cubic. We have found that such highly swollen metastable bicontinuous cubic phases can be formed within onion vesicles. Data from monoelaidin in excess water display a well-defined transition, with the primitive cubic appearing above a water volume fraction of 0.75. Both of these results lend support to the proposition that differences in the packing frustration between inverse bicontinuous cubic phases play a pivotal role in their relative phase stability.     

Molecular dynamics study of the influence of surfactant structure on surfactant-facilitated spreading of droplets on solid surfaces

The spreading of a partially wetting aqueous drop in air on a hydrophobic surface can be facilitated by the adsorption of surfactants from the drop phase onto the air/aqueous and aqueous/hydrophobic solid interfaces of the drop. At the contact line at which these interfaces meet, conventional surfactants with a linear alkyl hydrophobic chain attached to a polar group adsorb onto the surfaces, forming monolayers which remain distinct as they merge at the contact juncture. The adsorption causes a decrease in the interfacial tensions and reduction in the contact angle but the angle remains above zero so the drop is still nonwetting. Trisiloxane surfactants with a T-shaped geometry in which the hydrophobic group is composed of a trisiloxane oligomer with a polar group attached at the center of the chain can give rise to a zero contact angle at the contact line and complete wetting (superspreading). Experimental evidence suggests the adsorption of the T-shaped molecule, in addition to significantly decreasing the tensions of the interfaces (relative to the conventional surfactants), promotes the formation of a precursor film consisting of a surfactant bilayer at the contact line which facilitates the spreading. The aim of this study is to use molecular dynamics to examine if the T-shaped structure can promote spreading by the formation of a bilayer and to contrast this case with that of the linear chain surfactant where complex assembly does not occur. The simulation models the solvent as a monatomic liquid, the substrate as a particle lattice, and the surfactants as united atom structures, with all interactions given by Lennard-Jones potentials. We start with a base case in which the solvent partially wets a substrate comprised of a lattice of particles. We demonstrate that adsorbed T-shaped surfactant monolayers can, when the interaction between the solvent and the hydrophile particles is strong enough, assemble into a bilayer, allowing the drop to extend to a thin planar film. In the case of the flexible linear chain surfactant, there is no interaction between the monolayers on the two interfaces in the case of a strong hydrophile-solvent interaction and less coordination for a weaker interaction. In either case, the monolayers remain distinct, as the surfactant only marginally improves wetting.     

Using spin polarised positive muons for studying guest molecule partitioning in soft matter structures

Fully polarised positive muons substituted for protons in organic free radicals can be used as spin labels which reveal information about the structure, dynamics and environment of these radicals. In applications via the technique of avoided-level-crossing muon spin resonance (ALC-microSR), the positive muon has been used to study the partitioning of phenyl alcohols in lamellar phase colloidal dispersions of a cationic dichain surfactant. Here we describe the experimental technique which permits highly sensitive spectroscopy as previously demonstrated for surfactant mixtures. We also demonstrate its capability in the study of partitioning of cosurfactant molecules in surfactant bilayers in order to elucidate the main factors which contribute to cosurfactant ordering at interfaces. The technique takes advantage of the positive muon combining with an electron to a hydrogen-like atom that is called muonium. This atom attaches to a phenyl group, forming a cyclohexadienyl-type radical that contains the muon as a polarised spin label, providing an excellent probe even for very low phenyl alcohol concentrations. The position of one type of resonance, which on the basis of spectroscopic selection rules is denoted as Delta(0), is related to the solvent polarity of the radicals' environment. The results derived from Delta(0) measurements reveal a systematic trend where the increasing chain length of the phenyl alcohol results in a deeper immersion of the phenyl ring of the alcohol into the surfactant bilayer with the OH group anchored at the interface. In addition, the data suggest partial penetration of water molecules into the bilayer. Furthermore, data ensuing from a second resonance (called Delta(1), which is dependent upon the degree of confinement of the radical within the surfactant aggregate structure) indicates not only that the phenyl alcohol resides in an anisotropic environment, (i.e. that the host molecule is unable to undergo full 3-D reorientation on a timescale of 50 ns), but the resonance line widths indicate that the radicals are undergoing fast rotation about a particular axis, in this instance about the first C-C substituent bond at the phenyl ring. Detailed analysis of these Delta(1) line shapes suggests that other types of motion involving reorientation of the above rotation axis are also present. At room temperature, the hydrocarbon chains of the double layers form an aggregate state commonly referred to as the L(beta) phase, where the motions of surfactant alkyl chains are effectively frozen out. These chains melt on heating over a temperature range which is solution composition dependent (ca. 51 to 67 degrees C), but in all cases leading to a liquid-like disordered hydrocarbon regime whilst retaining the overall lamellar structure (and in this state is termed L(alpha)). Above the L(alpha)/L(beta) chain ordering phase transition the tracer molecules reside within the bilayer, but below this transition (and depending on their water-oil solubility) they are completely or partly expelled. This interpretation is further supported by Heisenberg spin exchange experiments. The water-bilayer partitioning reflects both typical classical and nonclassical hydrophobic solvation depending on temperature and chain length of phenyl alcohols.     

On structural transitions in a discontinuous micellar cubic phase loaded with sodium diclofenac

An intermediate mesophase of lyotropic liquid crystalline structure from the ternary mixtures of glycerol monooleate, water, and ethanol was recently characterized in our lab. This mesophase, termed Q(L), consists of discrete discontinuous micelles arranged in a cubic array. The Q(L) phase can solubilize very significant loads of water-insoluble anti-inflamatory drug sodium diclofenac (Na-DFC). Close examination of the internal structures of the lyotropic liquid structure upon increasing the solubilization loads reveals the existence of three structural transitions controlled by the Na-DFC levels. Up to 0.4 wt% Na-DFC, the Q(L) structure remains intact with some influence on the hydration of the headgroups and on the intermicellar forces. However, at 0.8 to 1.2 wt% Na-DFC, the discontinuous micellar cubic phase is transformed into a more condensed mesophase of a bicontinuous cubic phase. At > or =1.2 wt% Na-DFC, the cubic phase is converted into a lamellar phase (L(alpha)). Within 5.5 to 7.3 wt% Na-DFC the mesophase is progressively transformed into a less ordered lamellar structure. At 12 wt% Na-DFC crystals tend to precipitate out. At low Na-DFC concentrations the drug behaves like a lyotropic or kosmotropic salt and can salt-out the surfactant from its water layer, but at higher levels it behaves like a hydrotropic, chaotropic salt and can salt-in the surfactant. The Na-DFC location and position within the interface as well as its polarization and partial ionization are strongly affected by its solubilization contents and the structure that it is inducing. In the cubic phase the drug is located less close to the hydration layer while once transition occurs it is exposed more to the water layer and the surfactant headgroups.