Anomeric effects on the structure of micelles of alkyl maltosides in water

Abstract

Structures formed by self-assembly of α- and β-1-n-dodecyl D-maltosides in water depend on the configuration at the anomeric center. The α-anomer forms quasi-spherical aggregates, while the β-maltoside forms larger oblate ellipsoidal micelles. This difference in behavior suggests that the configuration of the head group influences the orientation of the polar residue and hence the packing of monomers during self-assembly.