Self-assembly of a short amphiphile in water controlled by superchaotropic polyoxometalates

recent article in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Team L2IA
 

Nanometric ions, such as polyoxometalates (POMs) or ionic boron clusters, with low charge density have previously shown a strong propensity to bind to macrocycles and to adsorb to neutral surfaces: micellar, surfactant covered water–air and polymer surfaces. These association phenomena were shown to arise from a solvent-mediated effect called the (super-)chaotropic effect. We show here by combining cloud point (CP) measurements, scattering (SAXS/SANS) and spectroscopic techniques (NMR) that Keggin
POMs: H4SiW12O40 and H3PW12O40, induce the self-assembly of an organic solvent: dipropylene glycol n-propylether in water. 

for more information please read the article from Philipp Schmid, Thomas Buchecker, Ali Khoshsima, Didier Touraud, Olivier Diat, Werner Kunz, Arno Pfitzner and Pierre Bauduin in JCIS 587 (2021) 347–357.