Wormlike micelles from a cage amine metallosurfactant

Langmuir. 2007 Nov 20;23(24):11986-90. doi: 10.1021/la701283b. Epub 2007 Oct 19.

Abstract

We have shown that copper and cobalt metallosurfactants derived from Cu(II) and Co(III) complexes of a macrobicyclic hexamine ("cage") can form wormlike micelles in aqueous solution that may coexist with or easily interconvert with vesicle structures. The cylindrical micelle structures are unusual for triple-chain surfactants with a single headgroup and are not easily accounted for using geometrical packing arguments. The solution behavior has been characterized by cryo-TEM and SAXS measurements. Both the Cu and Co compounds display viscoelastic solutions at 1 wt %, indicating that such behavior may be anticipated for the full variety of stable metal complexes formed by the cage headgroup, auguring applications based on the incorporation of metallo aggregates into mesoporous silica structures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cobalt / chemistry*
  • Copper / chemistry*
  • Macrocyclic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Methenamine / chemistry*
  • Micelles*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Porosity
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*

Substances

  • Macrocyclic Compounds
  • Micelles
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • Cobalt
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Copper
  • Methenamine