Self-assembly of bipolar amphiphiles

Over the past 2 years, various symmetrical and unsymmetrical bipolar amphiphiles (bolaamphiphiles) have been synthesized to study their self-organizing and packing properties alone as well as in mixtures with conventional amphiphiles. This review focuses on the lyotropic properties of these bolaamphiphiles and describes their in some cases quite unusual supramolecular self-assembling properties in aqueous media and at the air–water and liquid–solid interface.