Role of the spacer stereochemistry on the structure of solid-supported gemini surfactants aggregates

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction was applied to investigate the role of the spacer stereochemistry on the structure of the solid supported aggregates of three stereoisomeric cationic gemini surfactants, 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-bis-(N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)butane dibromide. Solid-supported Gemini surfactant aggregates self-assemble into highly interdigitated multibilayer stacks. Structural properties, such as the bilayer thickness, the headgroup size, the thickness of the hydrophobic core, and the size of the interbilayer water region, were derived from electron density profiles. Results show that the stereochemistry of the spacer controls the structural properties of the solid-supported interfacial aggregates.