Co-hydrogelation of Dendritic Surfactant and Amino Acids in Their Common Naturally-occurring Forms: A Study of Morphology and Mechanisms

Sixteen different amino acids (AAs) presenting different side-chains as neutral nonpolar (Gly, Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, and Phe), neutral polar (Ser, Thr, Cys, Asn and Gln), acidic (Asp and Glu) and basic (Lys, Arg and His) could induce co-hydrogelation in 1% solutions of the dendritic surfactant, 3,3′-(octadecylazanediyl) dipropionic acid, at various concentration (1.6% ≤ Cco-hgel ≤ 20%). The amino acids Asp and Glu showed a strong favourable...