VESICULAR PROPERTIES OF STEREOISOMERIC SURFACTANTS

All of the stereoisomeric forms of the surfactant, sodium adecyloxymet hyl)dioxolan-2-yl]propane-1-sulfonate, have been prepared: the enantio mers (+)-1 and (-)-1, the racemate (+/-)-1 (by two different methods), and meso 2 and meso 3. Vortexed vesicles of these materials were char acterized by dynamic laser light scattering, to give vesicle sizes, an d by differential scanning calorimetry, to give bilayer phase transiti on temperatures and associated enthalpies. Different calorimetry resul ts were obtained for (+)-1 [(-)-1], (+/-)-1, 2, and 3. In particular, a comparison of the results for (+)-1 [(-)-1] and (+/-)-1 indicated th e operation of enantiomer discrimination. The criteria of the ''absolu te'' method of stereochemistry applied to this study were not complete ly fulfilled.