Date of Award

2011-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Chemistry

Advisor(s)

Juan C. Noveron

Abstract

Gemini surfactants are amphiphilic molecules that consist of two surfactant molecules chemically joined together by a spacer group. These molecules tend to self‐assemble into vesicles at much lower concentrations than traditional surfactants and have found many applications in catalysis, adsorption applications, drug‐delivery, nanoscale technology, and biotechnology. In this thesis, the synthesis, characterization and physical properties of a new type of Gemini surfactant derived from dinuclear Cu(II) metal complexes is presented. We call these molecules Gemini Metal‐Organic Surfactants (GMOs).

Three newly developed new GMOs (compounds 1‐3) are composed of Cu(II) ions ligated to a lipid‐functionalized triamine group and the metals are bridged by a bipyridyl spacer group. The head groups of the resulting GMOs were characterized via X‐ray crystallography. The GMO self‐assemble in water into stable metallo‐liposomes, which were characterized with mass spectrometry (MS), Infrared (IR), fluorescent optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

The Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of the GMOs were determined with Nile Red‐stained Fluorescent Optical Microscopy as a function of concentration and the results were 1.9 X10‐4M for 1, 4.1 X10‐4M for 2, and 4.9 X 10‐4M for 3.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

81 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Erich Ivan Valenzuela

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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