Smart Complex Fluids Based on Two-Antennary Oligoglycines.

Abstract

Antennary oligoglycines are synthetic products, obtained as a result of preliminary molecular design. Equal-length antennae are built of glycine residues joined through the C end to an oligoamine branching core with an amine group at the N terminus exposed outside. The results of systematic research on the properties of aqueous solutions containing two-antennary oligoglycine with four glycine portions are reported. The central feature is the competition between amphiphilic self-assembly and formation of polyglycine\u2005II motifs. A combined procedure is developed to characterize bulk and interfacial structures and coatings. It includes registration of bulk aggregates, examination of interfacial layers at solution/air and solution/solid boundaries, drainage, and stability of liquid films. The obtained results provide new insight into the structure-property relationships in these smart fluids and give essential hints about key factors allied to possible applications in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and environmental protection.