Vesicle formation in aqueous mixture of the cetyltrimetylammonium bromide and an anionic chitosan derivative

The present work aimed at research the physic-chemical properties of the interaction of N-decyl-O-chitosan sulfate (an amphiphilic chitosan derivative, C10-OCHS) with cetyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB) by the steady-state fluorescent, static/dynamic surface tension, turbidity and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the complex of C10-OCHS/CTAB had high surface activity and lower critical aggregation concentration. Besides, the C10-OCHS/CTAB could self-assemble into various aggregates like irregular spherical aggregates, vesicles or polydisperse aggregates from lower to higher concentrations of CTAB with a mixed C10-OCHS concentration of 200 mg/L.