3-(4-Ferrocenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)cholic Acid

Surfactants are very important compounds that are ubiquitous in biological systems and detergents. Among them, ferrocene surfactants are a very valuable class of stimuli-responsive materials since the presence of ferrocene moiety discloses the chance to control and even modify their amphiphilic properties via a redox-induced change in the surfactant charge. In this paper, we report a new ferrocene-based surfactant: a ferrocene C-3 derivative of cholic acid, a non-classical surfactant. The title compound of this work was meant to show the significant self-assembly behaviour typical of bile salts, improved by the presence of the aromatic ferrocene subunit. We intended to demonstrate that the presence of the redox mediator should provide the derivative with sensitivity to an oxidative stimulus and control over the aggregation properties. The title compound was prepared in two steps from easily accessible precursors, and its optical properties were investigated through UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. The determination of its critical micellar concentration and redox potential confirmed this derivative’s amphiphilic nature and its tendency to be reversibly oxidized.