Probing Self-Assembly in Arginine–Oleic Acid Solutions with Terahertz Spectroscopy and X‑ray Scattering

A study of the formation of microstructures in the reaction of oleic acid with arginine elucidates dynamical self-assembly processes at the molecular level. Terahertz spectroscopy combined with density functional calculations reveals the initial hydrogen-bonding motifs in the assembly process, leadi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of physical chemistry letters 2020-11, Vol.11 (21), p.9507-9514
Main Authors: Lu, Wenchao, Zhang, Emily, Amarasinghe, Chandika, Kostko, Oleg, Ahmed, Musahid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical structure
INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Liquids
Molecular structure
Physical Insights into Chemistry, Catalysis, and Interfaces
Self organization
X-ray scattering
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Summary:A study of the formation of microstructures in the reaction of oleic acid with arginine elucidates dynamical self-assembly processes at the molecular level. Terahertz spectroscopy combined with density functional calculations reveals the initial hydrogen-bonding motifs in the assembly process, leading to the formation of micelles and vesicles. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements allow for kinetic analysis of the growth processes of these nanostructures, revealing a prenucleation pathway of vesicles and micelles which lead to spongelike structures. This final stage of the assembly into spongelike aggregates is investigated with optical microscopy. The formed structures only occur at pH > 8 and are resistant to extreme acidic and basic conditions. A mechanistic pathway to the formation of the spongelike aggregates is described.
ISSN:1948-7185
1948-7185
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02593