The self-assembly behavior of pH-sensitive amphiphiles N-dodecyl-1, 2-diaminoethane (C12N2N), N-dodecyl-1, 3-diaminopropane (C12N3N) and N-dodecyl-1, 4-diaminobutane (C12N4N) has been studied in aqueous solutions. Light scattering, viscosity and cryo-transmission electronic microscopy (cryo-TEM) results revealed that the aggregates transferred from spherical micelles to vesicles (MVT) via wormlike micelles as the pH was gradually varied from acidic to basic conditions. pH-dependent zeta potential and H-1 NMR studies confirmed these transitions. Interestingly, the formed wormlike micelles could transform into vesicles upon heating, which was studied by cryo-TEM, light scattering and viscosity techniques in detail. It is concluded that the pH and thermal MVT are a general phenomenon in all three amphiphiles investigated. Furthermore, NaCl induced a wormlike micelle to vesicle transition was also observed in C12N2N solution. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.