Synthesis and supramolecular arrangement of new stearoyl acid-based phenalenone derivatives

Abstract Lipid-based photoantimicrobial supramolecular assemblies are promising structures for the development of new photodynamic treatments of wound bacterial infections. Phenalenone (1H-phenalene-1-one, PN) has been used to obtain four stearoyl acid-based phenalenone derivatives (PNC18), with different types of linkage and different number of acyl chains. After studying the interfacial properties of these compounds, nano-objects were formed with either pure PNC18 or mixtures of PNC18 with 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Morphologies of these nano-objects were analyzed by CryoTEM imaging. The distearoyl glycerol PN derivative appears promising for building photosensitive micelles or vesicles.