Influence of the Headgroup of Azolium-Based Lipids on Their Biophysical Properties and Cytotoxicity

A series of (un-)charged NHC derivatives bearing two pentadecyl chains in the backbone was studied in detail to find cooperative effects between the membrane and the NHC derivative. The tendency to show lipid-like behavior is dependent on the properties of the NHC derivative headgroup, which can be modified on demand. The surface activity was investigated by film balance measurements, epifluorescence microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Additionally the cytotoxicity was evaluated against different cell lines such as eukaryotic tumor cell lines. These novel lipid-like NHC derivatives offer a broad spectrum for biological applications.