title: Charged supramolecular assemblies of surfactant molecules in gas phase.
abstract: The aim of this review is to critically analyze recent literature on charged supramolecular assemblies formed by surfactant molecules in gas phase. Apart our specific interest on this research area, the stimuli to undertake the task arise from the widespread theoretical and applicative benefits emerging from a comprehensive view of this topic. In fact, the study of the formation, stability, and physicochemical peculiarities of non-covalent assemblies of surfactant molecules in gas phase allows to unveil interesting aspects such as the role of attractive, repulsive, and steric intermolecular interactions as driving force of supramolecular organization in absence of interactions with surrounding medium and the size and charge state dependence of aggregate structural and dynamical properties. Other interesting aspects worth to be investigated are joined to the ability of these assemblies to incorporate selected solubilizates molecules as well as to give rise to chemical reactions within a single organized structure. In particular, the incorporation of large molecules such as proteins has been of recent interest with the objective to protect their structure and functionality during the transition from solution to gas phase. Exciting fall-out of the study of gas phase surfactant aggregates includes mass and energy transport in the atmosphere, origin of life and simulation of supramolecular aggregation in the interstellar space. Moreover, supramolecular assemblies of amphiphilic molecules in gas phase could find remarkable applications as atmospheric cleaning agents, nanosolvents and nanoreactors for specialized chemical processes in confined space. Mass spectrometry techniques have proven to be particularly suitable to generate these assemblies and to furnish useful information on their size, size polydispersity, stability, and structural organization. On the other hand molecular dynamics simulations have been very useful to rationalize many experimental findings and to furnish a vivid picture of the structural and dynamic features of these aggregates. Thus, in this review, we will focus on the most important achievements gained in recent years by both these investigative tools.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, I-90123, Palermo, Italy.|Centro Grandi Apparecchiature-UniNetLab, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Marini 14, I-90128, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bongiorno
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, I-90123, Palermo, Italy.|Centro Grandi Apparecchiature-UniNetLab, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Marini 14, I-90128, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceraulo
authors.affiliation: Core Laboratory of Quality control and Chemical Risk, Policlinico P. Giaccone, Università di Palermo, via del Vespro 129, I-90127, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Indelicato
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, I-90123, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turco Liveri
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, I-90123, Palermo, Italy.|Centro Grandi Apparecchiature-UniNetLab, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Marini 14, I-90128, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Indelicato
keywords: degree of freedom effect; direct micelles; reverse micelles; s; surfactant; upramolecular aggregates