Nucleation of Surfactant–Alkane Mixed Solid Monolayer and Bilayer Domains at the Air–Water Interface

We investigated the wetting transitions of tetradecane and hexadecane droplets in dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C14TAB), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TAB) aqueous solutions. By varying the surfactant concentration, the formation of mixed monolayers of a surfactant and an alkane was observed at the air–water interface. Depending on the combination of surfactant and alkane, these wetting monolayers underwent another thermal phase transition upon cooling either to a frozen mixed monolayer (S1) or a bilayer structure composed of a solid monolayer of a pure alkane rested on a liquid-like mixed monolayer (S2). Based on the phase diagrams determined by phase modulation ellipsometry, the difference in the morphology of the nucleated S1 and S2 phase domains was also investigated using Brewster angle microscopy. Domains of the S1 phase were relatively small and highly branched, whereas those of the S2 phase were large and circular. The difference in domain morphology was explained by the competition of the domain line tension and electrostatic dipole interactions between surfactant molecules in the domains.

Probing a Local Viscosity Change at the Nematic-Isotropic Liquid Crystal Phase Transition by a Ratiometric Flapping Fluorophore

Local viscosity change in the thermal phase transition of a nematic liquid crystal, 5CB, has been analyzed by doping fluorescent viscosity probes, flapping fluorophores (FLAP) as well as a molecular rotor BODIPY-C12. As a result, only flapping anthraceneimide has successfully monitored a small viscosity change (corresponding to a few cP (centipoise) change in shear viscosity around 25 cP) in the nematic-to-isotropic phase transition by ratiometric spectroscopy. In addition, analysis of fluorescence anisotropy indicates that the emissive species (planarized flapping anthraceneimides) are aligned parallel to the director of 5CB in the nematic phase.

Refining the Design of Diblock Elastin-Like Polypeptides for Self-Assembly into Nanoparticles

Diblock copolymers based-on elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) have the potential to undergo specific phase transitions when thermally stimulated. This ability is especially suitable to form carriers, micellar structures for instance, for delivering active cargo molecules. Here, we report the design and study of an ELP diblock library based on ELP-[M1V3-i]-[I-j]. First, ELP-[M1V3-i]-[I-j] (i = 20, 40, 60; j = 20, 90) that showed a similar self-assembly propensity (unimer-to-aggregate transition) as their related monoblocks ELP-[M1V3-i] and ELP-[I-j]. By selectively oxidizing methionines of ELP-[M1V3-i] within the different diblocks structures, we have been able to access a thermal phase transition with three distinct regimes (unimers, micelles, aggregates) characteristic of well-defined ELP diblocks.