The work represents colloids of silica nanoparticles displaying fluorescent response on biorelevant compounds exemplified by phosphacoumarins and phospholipids. The luminescent properties of the colloids arise from Tb(III) complexes doped into silica nanoparticles (SNs). The noncovalent decoration of SNs by dicationic surfactant with further interfacial binding of dye anions enables to develop colloids programmed to display a substrate induced fluorescent response. The latter results from the quenching of Tb(III) centered luminescence by dye anions through dynamic mechanism and subsequent displacement of quenching anions by the non-quenching substrates from the interface of SNs. Both negative charge and hydrophobicity of substrates are the key factors affecting the selectivity of the substrate induced fluorescent response. The peculiar effects of zwitter-ionic and anionic phospholipids on the fluorescent response have been revealed. The applicability of the fluorescent procedure in the sensing of impurities in commercial phosphatidylcholine is also introduced.

Supramolecular nanoaggregates formed through the association of amphiphilic sulfonatomethylated calix[4]resorcinarenes with different substituents on the lower rim (methyl, pentyl, heptyl) and number of aromatic, aliphatic, and cationic guests differing in their shapes and sizes were investigated in aqueous solution by various NMR techniques ((1)H, 2D NOESY, FT-PGSE). It was shown that slight variations of the alkyl chain length on the lower rim of calixresorcinarenes dramatically change their aggregation behavior. Unlike the other calixresorcinarenes studied, the "head-to-tail" packing mode is observed for calixresorcinarene with pentyl moieties on the lower rim, which is unusual for amphiphilic calixarene aggregates. This calixresorcinarene demonstrates the stronger binding capacity toward the guest molecules due to their encapsulation into the capsule-like aggregate subunits. The guest-host complexation modifies the properties of both components, with the size of the resulted colloid particles being controlled by the guest nature.

The quenching effect of dyes (phenol red and bromothymol blue) on Tb(III)-centered luminescence enables to sense the aggregation of cationic and anionic surfactants near the silica surface of Tb-doped silica nanoparticles (SN) in aqueous solutions. The Tb-centered luminescence of non-decorated SNs is diminished by the inner filter effect of both dyes. The decoration of the silica surface by cationic surfactants induces the quenching through the energy transfer between silica coated Tb(III) complexes and dye anions inserted into surfactant aggregates. Thus the distribution of surfactants aggregates at the silica/water interface and in the bulk of solution greatly affects dynamic quenching efficiency. The displacement of dye anions from the interfacial surfactant adlayer by anionic surfactants and phospholipids is accompanied by the "off-on" switching of Tb(III)-centered luminescence.

A systematic study of the aggregation behavior of alkyltriphenylphosphonium bromides (TPPB-n; n=8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18; here n is the number of carbon atoms in alkyl groups) in aqueous solutions has been carried out and compared with trimethyl ammonium bromides (TMAB-n). Critical micelle concentrations (cmcs) of TPPB-n and TMAB-n decrease with the number of carbon atoms with the slope parameter of ca.0.3. The low cmcs and effective solubilization power toward Orange OT indicate high micellization capacity of phosphonium surfactants. The low counterion binding parameter β is revealed for TPPB-10 and TPPB-12, while high counterion binding of ⩾80% is observed for high TPPB-n homologs. Values of the surface potential ψ calculated on the basis of pK(a) shifts of p-nitrophenols is similar for both series and monotonously increase with alkyl chain length. Several points indicate non-monotonic changes within TPPB-n series. There are peculiarities of the tensiometry and solubilization plots for high homologs and above mentioned increases in counterion binding on transiting from low to high molecular weight surfactants. Differences in aggregation behavior between TPPB and TMAB series and between low and high homologs can be due to the specific structural character of the TPP(+) cation, which is supported by X-ray data.

In this work, the formation of two- and three-component supramolecular systems based on cone, partial cone, 1,3-alternate stereoisomers of heteroditopic "hosts"- p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene containing 4-amidopyridine fragments with silver (I) cations and dicarboxylic acids in liquid and solid phases were studied by UV spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and atomic-force microscopy methods. It has been shown that these macrocycles are correceptors, capable of simultaneously binding silver (I) cations, dicarboxylic (oxalic, malonic, succinic, maleic, fumaric acids) and hydroxyl acids (glycol, tartaric acids). For the first time, by the dynamic light scattering method, it has been shown that the conformation of p-tert-butyl thiacalix[4]arenes significantly affects the type of three-component system formed: cone is characterized by the formation of cascade systems, for partial cone - intermediate systems, and for the 1,3-alternate stereoisomers - three types of three-component systems (cascade , intermediate and commutative) were observed.

Mixed association of calix[4]resorcinarene with ethyl sulfonate groups on the lower rim and dimethylaminomethyl groups on the upper rim (CR) and cationic surfactant 4-aza-1-hexadecyl-azoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane bromide (DABCO-16) is studied by methods of tensiometry, conductometry, potentiometry and NMR spectroscopy at fixed CR concentration and varied surfactant concentration. Beyond ca. 0.4 mM of DABCO-16, mixed aggregates enriched by CR are proved to be formed due to electrostatic forces, while beyond ca. 5 mM, aggregates enriched by surfactant occur due to the hydrophobic effect. Spectrophotometry monitoring of the solubilization of a hydrophobic dye, Orange OT, demonstrated that only the second type of mixed aggregate enriched by DABCO-16 is capable of binding the organic probe, while the mixed system where the surfactant is a minor component shows no binding capacity towards Orange OT. This finding can be used for the design of nanocontainers with controllable binding/release properties.