Self-Assembly of Magnetic Bacillus-Shaped Bilayer Vesicles in Catanionic Surfactant Solutions

Langmuir. 2016 Oct 11;32(40):10226-10234. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b01564. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Abstract

Bacillus-shaped bilayer vesicles of nanoscale size are very rare structures of stable surfactant self-assembly, because they are both thermodynamically and electrostatically unfavorable in solution. It is evidently demonstrated that appropriately aqueous mixtures of single-tailed cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactants can produce rigidly bacillus-shaped bilayer vesicles with both flat parts and bent edges. The crucial requirement for forming bacillus-shaped bilayer vesicles is the use of cationic surfactants with relatively hydrophobic [FeCl3Br]- as counterions. [FeCl3Br]- can strongly associate with cationic surfactants to partition into the hydrophobic bilayer of bacillus-shaped bilayer vesicles, significantly increasing the edge energy of cationic surfactants to make them distribute in the low curvature part of bilayers. This causes the formation of bacillus-shaped bilayer vesicles, but not completely bent spherical vesicles, in the case of cationic surfactant excess. The specificity of hydrophobic counterions, [FeCl3Br]-, could also make the catanionic mixtures do not precipitate at the stoichiometric point. This new self-assembly on catanionic systems is culminated in the discovery of beautifully structured colloidal objects which are of practical use for molecular templating and controlled drug or DNA release.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cetrimonium Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Cetrimonium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Dynamic Light Scattering
  • Ferric Compounds / chemical synthesis
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Magnetic Phenomena
  • Magnetometry
  • Neutron Diffraction
  • Particle Size
  • Phase Transition
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / chemistry*
  • Static Electricity
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*

Substances

  • Cetrimonium Compounds
  • Ferric Compounds
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • Texapon
  • Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate