MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorous Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P. R. China.
Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China.
J Phys Chem Lett. 2021 May 20;12(19):4484-4489. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01146. Epub 2021 May 6.
Understanding the self-assembly mechanisms of amphiphilic molecules in solutions and regulating their phase behaviors are of primary significance for their applications. To challenge the reported direct phase transitions from nonlamellar to ordered lamellar phases, the self-assembly and phase behavior of the 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride aqueous dispersions were studied using a strategy of isothermal incubation after the temperature jump. A disordered lamellar phase (identified as the lamellar liquid-crystal (L) phase), serving as an intermediate, was found to bridge the transition from a spherical micellar (M) phase to a lamellar-gel (L) phase. Meanwhile, the nonsynchronicity in the tail and headgroup regions of the ionic liquid surfactant during the transition process was also unveiled, with the former being prior to the latter. The in-depth understanding of the self-assembly mechanisms may help push forward the related applications in the future.
理解两亲分子在溶液中的自组装机制并调节它们的相行为对于它们的应用具有重要意义。为了挑战从非层状到有序层状相的直接相转变，通过在温度跳跃后进行等温孵育的策略，研究了 1-十六烷基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐水溶液的自组装和相行为。发现无序层状相（鉴定为层状液晶 (L) 相）作为中间体，桥接了从球形胶束 (M) 相到层状凝胶 (L) 相的转变。同时，在转变过程中离子液体表面活性剂的尾部和头部区域的不同步性也被揭示出来，前者先于后者。深入了解自组装机制可能有助于推动未来相关应用的发展。
