A new class of bolaforms bearing sulfobetaine and cationic heads: Synthesis and aggregation properties

We describe here a convenient route to a new family of bolaforms bearing sulfobetaine and cationic heads, which could be scaled up for industrial applications. Their aggregation modes were studied by measurement of surface tension and by dynamic light scattering and transmission electronic microscopy methods. Grafting a hydrophobic chain onto the cationic head modifies both the surface properties and aggregation. Compared to conventional bolaforms, the relationship between the length of the spacer and the side-chain and the resultant hydrophobic interactions are at the origin of these novel properties. Various models of these molecular associations were proposed.