Synthesis of single-chain amphiphiles containing 2,7-substituted naphthalene rigid segment and self-organization of the amphiphiles in dilute aqueoussolution

A series of single-chain amphiphile containing 2,7-substituted naphthalene rigid segment, alkyl tail chain and spacer portion, CnH2n+1OC10H6O(CH2)(6)N + (CH3)(3)Br- (n=16, 12, 10, 7, 4), has been synthesized, The aggregate mor phology of the amphiphiles in dilute aqueous solution was observed by elect ron microscopy, and found to form aggregate global-shaped vesicles with 200 -400 nm when n greater than or equal to 7 and unstable dispersion when n=4. The gel to liquid crystal phase transition of the bilayer membranes was st udied by means of differential scanning calorimmetry (DSC). The molecular m otion in the membranes was investigated by H-1 NMR, The experiment results indicate that the amphiphiles are of practical bilayer forming, capable of organizing biomembrane mimetic agent and suggest that the vesicle structure are composed of the bilayer structure similar to that of biomembranes.