p-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene-dodecyltrimethylammonium Supramolecular Amphiphilic System: Relationship between Calixarene and Micelle Concentration

Abstract

In this work, the formation of supramolecular mixed micelles from a hexamethylated p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene (SC6HM) derivative and a conventional cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) was investigated by surface tension and using pyrene as a micropolarity fluorescent probe to gain insights into the role of the calixarene concentration on the aggregation behavior. The formation of micelles at a concentration well below the critical micelle concentration of pure surfactant was observed in the presence of very low concentrations of SC6HM (below the micromolar range). Interestingly, the critical micelle concentration of the mixed system was shown to be rather insensitive to the concentration of SC6HM. On the other hand, the concentration of mixed micellar aggregates was demonstrated to be highly dependent on the macrocycle concentration and less dependent on the CTAB concentration in the range between the critical micelle concentrations of the mixed systems and pure surfactant.

pH-Triggered Transition from Micellar Aggregation to a Host–Guest Complex Accompanied by a Color Change

“…The construction of a stimuli-responsive nanosystem by the method of supramolecular assembly has attracted extensive attention benefitting from its simple composition, easy adjustment, and good repeatability. − In particular, the use of biocompatible water-soluble macrocyclic compounds, such as cyclodextrin, − p -sulfonatocalixarene, − cucurbituril, − and modified pillararene, − to construct stimuli-responsive supramolecular assemblies has shown many promising applications in the biomedical field. It is worth noting that organs, body fluids, and cell compartments have their unique pH values in living organisms.…”

Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Porphyrin and Metallosurfactant as a Drug Nanocontainer Design

“…The use for these purposes of supramolecular aggregates based on non-covalent host-guest complexes has a number of advantages, such as the simplicity of their preparation and modification with stimulussensitive and targeting ligands. A large number of works are devoted to the formation of mixed aggregates due to non-covalent interactions of macrocyclic hosts with open-chain surfactants and polymers [8][9][10][11]. Porphyrins are widely used as macrocycles in supramolecular aggregates due to their distinctive π-conjugated architecture, excellent photosensitivity, and biochemical functionality [12,13].…”

Controlled Self-Assembly Mediated by the Complexation of Calixpyridinium: Diverse Assembled Morphology, Solid-State Fluorescence, and Iodine Capture Capacity

“…Self-assembly processes are very important in the fields of biology, , chemistry, , and materials science. , The self-assembled morphology can be regulated by designing the building units precisely at the molecular level . Therefore, precisely controlling the self-assembled process and result is of great interest. , The host–guest recognition based on macrocycles has been widely applied in controlling the molecular self-assembly. , The first, second, and third generations of macrocycles, as well as the new generations of macrocycles, for instance, cucurbituril and pillararene, have been successfully employed as hosts in constructing well-defined self-assembled nanostructures. Recently, some new strategies were developed for supramolecular self-assembly based on macrocycles. − Even so, exploring a novel macrocycle-based controlled host–guest self-assembled system and further realizing its application, especially in aqueous solutions, is still a valuable and challenging research task.…”

“…8,9 The host−guest recognition based on macrocycles has been widely applied in controlling the molecular selfassembly. 10,11 The first, 12 second, 13 and third 14 generations of macrocycles, as well as the new generations of macrocycles, for instance, cucurbituril 15 and pillararene, 16 have been successfully employed as hosts in constructing well-defined selfassembled nanostructures. Recently, some new strategies were developed for supramolecular self-assembly based on macrocycles.…”