The compression isotherms of a series of amphiphilic cyclodextrins, formed (a) by acylation at the secondary hydroxyl face and (b) by acylation accompanied by varying degrees of sulfatation (DS) at the primary hydroxyl face (DS = 0, 4, and 7), have been studied on subphases of pure water and of water containing NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 at inter- and extracellular concentrations. The formation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) by two of the molecules has been observed, while these do not aggregate at concentrations of monovalent salts up to 150 mM for the sulfated derivative. In the presence of divalent salts one of these with a DS = 0 for sultatation degree flocculates at divalent salt concentrations below 0.1 mM while the other with a DS = 4 flocculates at Mg2+ concentration above 5 mM and a Ca2+ concentration above 3 mM. AFM noncontact mode imaging has been carried out, in air, for the SLNs deposited on mica. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.