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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Classical Amphiphilic Behavior of Nonclassical Amphiphiles: A Comparison of Metallacarborane Self-Assembly with SDS
Mariusz Uchman1, Vladimír Ďorďovič1, Zdeněk Tošner2
1Department of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Hlavova 2030, 128 43 Prague 2 (Czech Republic).
Abstract:
The self-assembly of metallacarboranes, a peculiar family of compounds exhibiting surface activity and resembling molecular-scale Pickering stabilizers, has been investigated by comparison to the micellization of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). These studies have shown that molecules without classical amphiphilic topology but with an inherent amphiphilic nature can behave similarly to classical surfactants. As shown by NMR techniques, the self-assembly of both metallacarboranes and SDS obey a closed association model. However, the aggregation of metallacarboranes is found to be enthalpy-driven, which is very unusual for classical surfactants. Possible explanations of this fact are outlined.
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A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
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