Bilayer-forming ion pair amphiphiles from single-chain surfactants

Abstract

In this paper we show that amphiphilic ion pairs, derived from a series of trimethyl-n-alkylammonium bromides and saturated fatty acids, form vesicles upon sonic dispersal in water. We further show that the ability of such «ion-pair amphiphiles» (IPAs) to form a lamellar phase is critically dependent upon the absence of salts which can compete, effectively, for binding. Ion-pair amphiphiles of the type described herein are proposed as a novel class of vesicle-forming material for both theoretical investigations and practical device applications