Synthesis of vesicular SUPRASs is a spontaneous and fast process
involving the mixture of an alkylcarboxylic acid (chain length
higher than five carbons) and Bu4NOH, at an acid/base molar ratio
of 2, in an aqueous solution (Ruiz et al., 2006). Hydroxide ions neutralize
a half of the alkylcarboxylic acid molecules, this permitting
the formation of aqueous vesicles, and B4N+ ions induce the coacervation
by reducing the repulsion of carboxylate groups in the
vesicle. The volume of solvent produced is linearly dependent on
the amount of alkylcarboxylic acid used in the synthesis and the
SUPRAS consists of equimolecular amounts of alkylcarboxylic acid,
alkylcarboxylate and Bu4N+ arranged in a supramolecular structure
dispersed in water.