Confinement of chiral molecules in reverse micelles: FT-IR, polarimetric and VCD investigation on the state of dimethyl tartrate in sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate reverse micelles dispersed in carbon tetrachloride

The state of d and l-dimethyl tartrate confined within dry sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles dispersed in CCl4 has been investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy, polarimetry, and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). Measurements have been performed at 25 °C as a function of the solubilizate-to-surfactant molar ratio (R) at a fixed AOT concentration (0.158 M). The analysis of experimental data is consistent with the hypothesis that both enantiomers of dimethyl tartrate are mainly entrapped in the reverse micelles and located in proximity to the surfactant head-group region. The formation of this interesting self-organized chiral nanostructure involves some changes of the typical H-bonding of dimethyl tartrates in the pure solid state or as monomers dispersed in CCl4 attributable to the establishment of specific solubilizate/surfactant head-group interactions and confinement effects.