Polyampholyte-tuned lyotrop lamellar liquid crystalline systems

The influence of a polyampholyte, i.e., poly(N,N′-diallyl-N,N′-dimethyl-altmaleamic carboxylate) (PalH), on the lamellar liquid crystalline (LC) system sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/decanol/water was investigated by means of microdifferential scanning calorimetry, small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS), and cryo-scanning electron microscopy. After incorporating PalH into the lamellar liquid crystalline system, SAXS measurements show that three different LC phases exist: i.e., a swelling, slightly swelling, and non-swelling one. At pH 4, the positively charged polymer with an extended conformation can directly adsorb at the anionic head groups of the surfactant and more compact vesicles are formed at room temperature. At pH 9, the electrostatic interactions between the polyampholyte (in a more coiled conformation) and the sulfate head groups of the SDS are leveled off and incompact vesicles are formed at room temperature. That means in presence of the polyampholyte the morphology of the LC phase, i.e., the supramolecular vesicle structure, can be tuned by varying the pH and/or the temperature.