Structural fixation of spontaneous vesicles in aqueous mixtures of polymerizable anionic and cationic surfactants

Two polymerizable surfactants, cationic methacryloyloxyundecyl trimethylammonium bromide and anionic sodium 4-(omega-methacryloyloxyundecyl)oxy benzene sulfonate, have been synthesized. The microstructures formed by mixtures of these surfactants in aqueous solution include stable vesicles, the structure of which can be fixed by polymerization. Both native and polymerized vesicles are characterized using quasi-elastic and static light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Polymerization captures the bilayer structure without creating appreciable intervesicle crosslinking.