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The nanofiber formation in aqueous suspension of two classes of symmetric single-chain bolaamphiphiles with different polar headgroups and a diacetylene-modified alkyl chain with a length of 32, 34, and 36 C atoms was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle neutron scattering. As observed before for other bolalipids with phosphocholine (PC) and dimethyl-phosphoethanolamine (Me 2 PE) headgroups, the molecules form fibers when suspended in water at low temperatures but disassemble into micellar-like aggregates upon heating. The introduction of a diacetylene group in the middle of the long chain leads to a perturbation of chain packing so that this fiber-micelle transition occurs at lower temperature compared to the other bolalipids having unmodified alkyl chains. The aim of our project was the introduction of diacetylene groups into alkyl chains to be able to polymerize the fibers at low temperature. This should enhance the fiber stability and prevent the disassembly into micellar aggregates at higher temperature. Polymerization of aggregates containing diacetylene-modified bolaamphiphiles can be easily traced by UV/vis spectroscopy as colored products are formed. We found that polymerization of bolaamphiphiles with PC headgroups leads to a breakdown of most fibers into micellelike aggregates, and only some longer fibers segments are still detectable. In contrast, the use of Me 2 PE headgroups improves polymerizability and length of the polymerized fibers. The compound with 36 C atoms in the chain could be polymerized at low temperatures, and the fibers remained stable at least up to a temperature of 60 °C. This shows that the perturbation of the chain packing due to the diacetylene groups in the chains can be overcome by elongation of the chains, so that thermostable fibers with a diameter of the length of the bolalipid molecule can be successfully formed.

The high-resolution humidity scanning QCM-D technique enables investigation of hydration of soft matter films using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) equipped with a humidity module. Based on a continuous increase of relative humidity, properties of soft matter films can be investigated depending on the water content of the surrounding atmosphere. Determination of complete water sorption isotherms is possible via analysis of the overtone dependence of the resonance frequencies. Rheological properties are monitored via measurement of the dissipation. The glass transition can be identified from the change of viscoelastic properties of the film reflected in changes of the dissipation. A high-resolution water sorption isotherm of lysozyme was measured and compared with results from water sorption calorimetry. Analysis of the rheological behavior during hydration of lysozyme films revealed the presence of two separate sharp transitions at the water activities 0.67 and 0.91, which are connected to the glass transition. In previous works, only the existence of a broad glass transition has been reported so far. Combining the QCM-D data with Raman scattering data presented earlier, a new mechanism of isothermal glass transition in lysozyme is proposed.

The aggregation behavior and rheological properties of aqueous suspensions of the bolaamphiphile dotriacontane-1,32-diyl-bis[2-(dimethylammonio)ethylphosphate] (Me(2)PE-C32-Me(2)PE) were investigated depending on the pH value and the salinity by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and oscillatory rheology. This bolaamphiphile self-assembles into helical fibers of approximately 5 nm thickness with an all-trans conformation of the alkyl chains. These nanofibers can gel water very effectively by forming a three-dimensional network. The headgroups' protonation depends on the pH value of the solution and influences the ability of the molecules to aggregate into fibers. At low pH values the headgroups are zwitterionic and stable hydrogels are formed, whereas at high pH values the headgroups are negatively charged and the length of the fiber aggregates diminishes as does the stability of the gel structure. We can show that by the addition of cations it is possible to shield the repulsive interaction between the molecules at high pH values so that the formation of the fiber aggregates and the gelation of the system occur. By addition of salt at high pH values the viscous flow behavior of Me(2)PE-C32-Me(2)PE suspensions could be transformed into the viscoelastic behavior of a gel. The gels show characteristics that are common in systems of wormlike micelles. However, there are also significant differences that arise from the unique bolaamphiphile fiber structure with highly ordered alkyl chains that render the properties similar to crystalline nanofibers.

Bipolar phospholipids (bolalipids) represent an exciting class of amphiphilic molecules as they self-assemble in water to distinct structures of nanoscopic dimensions. Reported here are structural details of helical nanofibers, composed of achiral, symmetrical single-chain bolalipids with phosphocholine headgroups. These nanofibers are used as template for the fixation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) without prior functionalization. This realization of a metal array on bolalipid nanofibers is one of the rare examples of one-dimensional AuNP arrangements in solution. The loading and the heat of binding of AuNPs are determined applying transmission electron microscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry.