Synthesis of new organocatalysts derived from bile acids and their use in aqueous solvent
Bile acids are a very important class of natural surfactants, showing themselves and their derivatives as self-assembling materials. The morphology of the aggregates is dependent upon the substituents present both on the rigid steroid backbone and on the side chain. For this reason, they are very suitable for nanochemistry, sensing and drug delivery applications. In the last years, our group has been involved in a project concerning the preparation of bile acid derivatives bearing amino acid moieties either on the C-3 or on the lateral chain of the steroid polycyclic ring.