Sugar-based
amphiphiles are a relevant natural alternative to synthetic
ones due to their biodegradable properties. An understanding of their
structure–assembly relationship is needed to allow the concrete
synthesis of suitable derivatives. Here, four different mannose-derivative
surfactants are characterized by pendant drop, dynamic light scattering,
small-angle X-ray scattering, cryotransmission electron microscopy,
and molecular dynamics techniques in aqueous media. Measurements denote
how the polysaccharide average degree of polymerization (
) and the addition of
a hydroxyl group to
the hydrophobic tail, and thus the presence of a second hydrophilic
moiety, affect their self-assembly. A variation in the
of the amphiphile has
no effect in the
critical micelle concentration in contrast to a change in the hydrophobic
molecular region. Moreover, high-
amphiphiles self-assemble
into spherical
micelles irrespective of the hydroxyl group presence. Low-
amphiphiles with only
one hydrophilic moiety
form cylindrical micelles, while the addition of a hydroxyl group
to the tail leads to a spherical shape.
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