Chiral Recognition in Biomembrane Models: What is behind a ‘Simple Model’

Abstract

The investigation of chiral recognition in micelles and liposomes used as biomembrane models relies, in principle, on physicochemical tools, such as circular dichroism, NMR spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. However, the need for proper model aggregates and suitable markers of chirality has prompted us to face some organic synthesis exercises with problems that synthetic chemists usually find with much more complex syntheses. Our synthetic efforts were compensated by the results we got in the successive physicochemical investigations.

Self-Assembly and Chiral Recognition of Chiral Cationic Gemini Surfactants

“…The two characteristics play a significant role in the formation and properties of their self-assembled structures. As surfactants, they can self-assemble into a rich variety of assemblies ranging from micelles, vesicles, to highly organized fibers, ribbons, helices, and tubes. − Meanwhile, chirality is intimately associated with the stability of aggregates and promotes the growth of aggregates because it has a structure-directing power to promote the organization of monomers into aggregates. , Moreover, the essence of chirality endows the aggregates with widespread applications in stereoselective synthesis, − chiral separation, − and the preparation of chiral nanostructures. − In addition, their chiral self-assembled structures, such as micelles, liposomes, or Langmuir monolayers, can be applied as simple models to mimic biomembranes − and chiral recognition. − Taking the growing applications into account, a great deal of effort has been devoted to develop new chiral surfactants, − and the effects of stereochemistry on the self-assembly of chiral surfactants are being highly sought.…”