A two-step reaction sequence starting with the indium-mediatedallenylation of aldehydes with 4-bromo-2-butyn-1-ols and subsequent ozonolysis of the resulting allenylic product was developed to generate a variety of dihydroxyacetone derivatives. The regioselectivity of the indium-promoted C–C bond-forming reaction can be manipulated through hydroxy protecting groups on 4-bromo-2-butyn-1-ol, yielding
liposomes. Structurally related cationic diacetylenic amphiphiles featuring the conjugated triple bonds proximate to charged nitrogen were synthesized and evaluated in their ability to polymerize under aggregative conditions. The occurrence of polymerization only in certain aggregating conditions was rationalized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Langmuir trough experiments.