A chiral BINOL-based Gemini amphiphilic gelator and its specific discrimination of native arginine by gelation in water

Reorganization from Kinetically Stable Aggregation States to Thermodynamically Stable Nanotubes of BINOL-Derived Amphiphiles in Water

The synthesis and self-assembly behavior of newly designed BINOL-based amphiphiles is presented. With minor structural modifications, the aggregation of these amphiphiles could be successfully tuned to form different types of assemblies in water, ranging from vesicles to cubic structures. Simple sonication induced the rearrangement of different kinetically stable aggregates into thermodynamically stable self-assembled nanotubes, as observed by cryo-TEM.

Controllable assembly of a novel cationic gemini surfactant containing a naphthalene and amide spacer with β-cyclodextrin

A novel cationic gemini surfactant (C12NDDA) with a spacer containing naphthalene and amides was successfully synthesized. The assembly of C12NDDA with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was investigated using various techniques including transmission electron microscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and scanning electron microscopy. Tuning the C12NDDA concentration and the C12NDDA/β-CD molar ratio allowed the production of different assembled aggregate morphologies such as micelles, vesicles, nanowires, nanorods, and hydrogels. Investigation of the inclusion mechanisms of C12NDDA and β-CD by 1H NMR revealed that hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and electrostatic forces play key roles in the assembly process. The antimicrobial activities of the C12NDDA/xβ-CD (x = 0-4) inclusion complexes were tested against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus), and very low minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.078-0.31 μg mL-1 were observed. Thus, this newly synthesized gemini surfactant and its inclusion complexes exhibit potential as superior broad-spectrum disinfectants for various biomedical and biotechnological applications.

Hollow doughnut shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticles for reduction of the thermal expansion coefficient of poly(ether sulfone) films

A hollow doughnut shaped mesoporous silica nanoparticle filler that significantly enhances the dimensional thermal stability without sacrificing the optical properties of poly(ether sulfone) films is reported.