Molecular assemblies of 4-(hexadecyloxy)-n-(pyridinylmethylene)anilines at the air-water interface and Cu(II)-promoted vesicle formation via metal coordination.

The molecular assemblies of 4-(hexadecyloxy)-N-(pyridinylmethylene)anilines (HPA) at the air-water interface on pure water and aqueous Cu(II) subphases have been investigated using in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). The Schiff base units were oriented with their long axes almost perpendicular to the water surface, and both imine and pyridinyl nitrogen atoms of the Schiff base units were coordinated to Cu(II) ions together with their geometrical conversions. The alkyl chains in the monolayers were quantitatively determined on the assumption that the HPA monolayers at the air-water interface were composed of sublayers of alkyl chains and Schiff base units, and the chain orientation angle on pure water was 30 +/- 2 degrees and increased to 37 +/- 2 degrees on the aqueous Cu(II) subphase. The HPA amphiphiles could not be dispersed in pure water but could self-organize into vesicles with metal-coordinated headgroups and interdigitated-packed alkyl chains in the presence of Cu(II) ions in aqueous solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), UV-vis spectroscopy, and small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the aggregate structures and specific properties of the coordinated vesicles.