CAS 4669-23-2 Triethylene glycol monodecyl ether

Triethylene Glycol Monodecyl Ether in Liquid Crystalline Membranes under Confinement by Aerosil Gels

Loss of a membrane phase under soft confinement conditions imposed by a porous silica colloids network Tanimura M, et al. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2021, 608, 125554.

Triethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C10E3) is a nonionic surfactant widely used as a model system to study the behavior of biological membranes. Due to its ability to form liquid crystalline phases in water, C10E3 has become an important subject of study in understanding membrane stability and dynamics under various conditions, particularly in the presence of inorganic colloidal materials such as aerosil gels.
In this study, the impact of confinement effects induced by aerosil gels on C10E3 liquid crystalline membranes was examined using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). Aerosil gels, formed by smoked silica nanoparticles interacting through siloxane bonds, create a porous environment where the pore volume and surface properties can be modulated by adjusting the concentration and particle size (ranging from 7 to 40 nm). When combined with the nonionic surfactant C10E3, these gels provide a unique matrix for investigating how spatial confinement and surface interactions affect membrane behavior.
It was observed that C10E3 membranes, which typically stabilize at lower temperatures in bulk systems, could withstand higher temperatures-up to 8°C more-when confined within aerosil gels. However, at higher aerosil concentrations, the finite size effects and increased surface interactions led to a significant alteration in membrane rigidity and dynamics. This change resulted in the collapse of the liquid crystalline phase into a micellar phase, highlighting how topological constraints can drastically affect membrane properties. The aerosil-induced confinement slowed down the membrane dynamics and altered its elastic properties, preventing it from adapting to the confined space.

Catalog Number	ACM4669232-2
CAS	4669-23-2
Structure
Synonyms	Decyltriglycol
IUPAC Name	2-[2-(2-decoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethanol
Molecular Weight	290.44
Molecular Formula	C16H34O4
Canonical SMILES	CCCCCCCCCCOCCOCCOCCO
InChI	InChI=1S/C16H34O4/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-11-18-13-15-20-16-14-19-12-10-17/h17H,2-16H2,1H3
InChI Key	UKODLHVFJRCQME-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Purity	≥95%
Appearance	Liquid
Complexity	165
Covalently-Bonded Unit Count	1
Defined Atom Stereocenter Count	0
Exact Mass	290.24570956
Heavy Atom Count	20
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count	4
Hydrogen Bond Donor Count	1
Isomeric SMILES	CCCCCCCCCCOCCOCCOCCO
Monoisotopic Mass	290.24570956
Rotatable Bond Count	17
Storage Conditions	Room temperature
Topological Polar Surface Area	47.9 Å²