Vesicles are nanoscale containers formed by the self-assembly of lipids or surfactants. They find application in the controlled release of cosmetics, drugs, and proteins. Researchers have been looking to create vesicles that can be disrupted by external stimuli such as light since this would allow for triggered release of encapsulated molecules with accurate spatial resolution. However, currently, most photoresponsive vesicle systems rely on the chemical synthesis of light-responsive amphiphilic molecules. In this study, we report a class of photoresponsive vesicles composed of inexpensive and commercially available cationic and anionic surfactants. These surfactants form vesicles due to ionic interactions between the cationic and anionic headgroups. When irradiated by UV light, the cationic surfactant loses its charge and, in turn, the vesicles are converted into micelles due to the loss of ionic interactions. In addition, a mixture of these photoresponsive vesicles and a hydrophobically modified polymer gives a photoresponsive vesicle-gel that can undergo a gel-to-sol transition with UV light. The vesicle gel is formed by physical coupling of hydrophobes on the polymer chains to the bilayers of vesicles. Upon UV irradiation, a vesicle-to-micelle transition occurs, thus eliminating the physical coupling and causing a gel-to-sol transition.

Photoresponsive vesicles and vesicle gels

245th National Meeting (2013)

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