This review summarizes the research on phospholipids and their use for drug delivery related to the Phospholipid Research Center Heidelberg (PRC). The focus is on projects that have been approved by the PRC since 2017 and are currently still ongoing or have recently been completed. The different projects cover all facets of phospholipid research, from basic to applied research, including the use of phospholipids in different administration forms such as liposomes, mixed micelles, emulsions, and extrudates, up to industrial application-oriented research. These projects also include all routes of administration, namely parenteral, oral, and topical. With this review we would like to highlight possible future research directions, including a short introduction into the world of phospholipids.

The phase behavior of the symmetric long-chain bolaamphiphile dotriacontan-1,1′-diyl-bis[2-(dimethylammonio)ethyl phosphate] (Me₂PE-C32-Me₂PE) was investigated in aqueous suspensions of different pH by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). At pH 5 the compound exhibits excellent properties as a hydrogelator by forming a dense network of helically structured nanofibrils with a diameter of 3–4 nm. The phase behavior of Me₂PE-C32-Me₂PE is compared with the previously examined trimethylammonio analogue PC-C32-PC, whose self-assembly process seems to be exclusively driven by hydrophobic interactions. At pH 5, Me₂PE-C32-Me₂PE can form intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the headgroups, which causes a significantly higher stability of the nanofibrils up to at least 75 °C. In contrast, no pronounced gelling properties are observed at pH 10. Obviously, the negatively charged headgroups seem to prevent the suspension from gelling. Nevertheless, nanofibrils are formed, but at 75 °C a fragmentation into smaller aggregates occurs due to the lack of stabilizing effect of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and the destabilizing effect of the negatively charged headgroups.