Solvent-induced amphiphilic molecular baskets: Unimolecular reversed micelles with different size, shape, and flexibility

Amphiphilic molecular baskets were obtained by attaching facially amphiphilic cholate groups to a covalent scaffold (calix[4]arene or 1,3,5-2,4,6-hexasubstituted benzene). In a solvent mixture consisting of mostly a nonpolar solvent and a polar solvent, the hydrophilic faces of cholates turned inward to form a reversed-micelle-like conformer whose stability was strongly influenced by the number of the cholates and the topology of the scaffold.