Self-Assembly
in the Mixtures of Surfactant and Dye Molecule Controlled via Temperature
and β‑Cyclodextrin Recognition
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Abstract
A new ternary system of tetradecyldimethylamine oxide
(C<sub>14</sub>DMAO)/4-phenylazo benzoic acid (AzoH)/H<sub>2</sub>O was first investigated,
and it was found that the self-assembly can be regulated via temperature
and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) recognition. In the temperature
regulated self-assembly, the self-assembled phase structural transition
between wormlike micelles and multilamellar vesicles (onions) were
determined by cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM)
images and <sup>2</sup>H nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>2</sup>H
NMR) spectra. The phase structural transition temperatures (PSTT)
controlled by changing the amount of AzoH were measured by differential
scanning calorimetry analysis. The self-assembled phase structural
transition mechanism was discussed. It is argued that the self-assembled
phase structural transition is the synergetic balance among the hydrophilic
headgroup, steric structures of the hydrophobic chain, and membrane
charge. β-CD molecules were used as controlling hands to modulate
the phase structural transition of self-assembly of the C<sub>14</sub>DMAO/AzoH/H<sub>2</sub>O system in solution via snatching C<sub>14</sub>DMAO molecules. The phase structural transitions from the threadlike
micellar phase to the lamellar phase and from the lamellar phase to
the vesicular phase can each be controlled because of the β-CD
molecular recognition. The phase structural transitions were confirmed
by cryo-TEM observations and <sup>2</sup>H NMR measurements. The rheological
properties were also investigated to display the importance in the
phase structural transition. It was found that the dye molecule, AzoH,
is harder to enclose by β-CD than by C<sub>14</sub>DMAO because
of the lower complex stability constant (i.e., <i>K</i><sub>C<sub>14</sub>DMAO@β‑CD</sub> ≫ <i>K</i><sub>AzoH@β‑CD</sub>. Therefore, the phase structural
transition is mainly controlled by the inclusion of C<sub>14</sub>DMAO into the hydrophobic cavity of β-CD molecules. The phase
structural transition controlled via temperature and β-CD may
find potential applications such as in actuators, shape memories,
drug delivery systems, and drag-reducing fluids, etc