Titration of mixed micelles containing a pH-sensitive surfactant and conventional (pH-Insensitive) surfactants: a regular solution theory modeling approach

Novel self-assembly nano OSA starch micelles controlled by protonation in aqueous media

A new micellization method was applied to produce the nano octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) modified starch micelles with controllable size. The underlying mechanism was explored by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential, surface tension, fluorescence spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Due to the new starch modification method, the electrostatic repulsion between the deprotonation carboxyl groups prevented the aggregation of starch chains. With the progress of protonation, the weaken electrostatic repulsion and enhanced hydrophobic interaction driven the self-assembly of micelles. The size of micelles increased gradually with the increase of the protonation degree (PD) and concentration of OSA starch. However, a V-shaped trends were observed in the size as the increase of substitution of degree (DS). Curcuma loading test indicated that micelles had good encapsulated capability and the maximum value was 52.2 μg/mg. The understanding of the self-assembly behavior of OSA starch micelles can facilitate and improve the starch-based carrier designs used to synthesis complex and smart micelle delivery system with good biocompatibility.

Amino acid–based surfactants: New antimicrobial agents

The rapid increase of drug resistant bacteria makes necessary the development of new antimicrobial agents. Synthetic amino acid-based surfactants constitute a promising alternative to conventional antimicrobial compounds given that they can be prepared from renewable raw materials. In this review, we discuss the structural features that promote antimicrobial activity of amino acid-based surfactants. Monocatenary, dicatenary and gemini surfactants that contain different amino acids on the polar head and show activity against bacteria are revised. The synthesis and basic physico-chemical properties have also been included.

Influence of headgroup on the aggregation and interactional behavior of twin-tailed cationic surfactants with pluronics

The surface tension measurements have been employed to characterize the micellar and interfacial behavior of pure and mixed systems of twin-tailed cationic surfactants: dimethylene bis(decyldimethylammonium bromide) (10-2-10), didecydimethylammonium bromide (DDAB), and 1,3-didecyl-2-methylimidazolium chloride (DDIC) with pluronics P84 and F108 in the aqueous solution. The interactions of each surfactant with both pluronics are found to be nonideal and synergistic except for the mixed system of 10-2-10 + F108, for which interactions are antagonistic and every interaction has been studied on the basis of headgroup disparity. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta (ζ) potential, and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements have been used to determine the influence of the mixing ratio on the morphology of the various mixed aggregates that are formed. Pure DDAB is found to form unilamellar vesicles whereas pure 10-2-10 and DDIC form prolate ellipsoidal micelles. The unilamellar vesicles of DDAB are destructed to yield spherical mixed micelles on addition of pluronics via expansion or contraction of vesicles. However, the pure pluronics and their mixed systems with 10-2-10 and DDIC form charged spherical micelles, and charge is confirmed by thenfractional charge and ζ values. The ζ values of pure surfactants are found to decrease on addition of pluronics, indicating a decrease in surface charge on inclusion of pluronics.

Mixed monolayer of DPPC and lysine-based cationic surfactants: an investigation into the antimicrobial activity

In this paper, we report studies which aim to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial activity of three cationic lysine-based surfactants: LLM, LALM, and C6 (LL)2. To this end, a simple membrane model (i.e., 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine, DPPC) was used to explore the monolayer properties at the air/liquid interface. Compression π-A isotherms of mixtures of DPPC/lysine surfactants at different pH showed an expansion of the DPPC monolayer, suggesting cationic lysine surfactant/DPPC interactions, which strongly depend on surfactant structure and hydrophobic interactions. Antimicrobial activity of the three surfactants has also been assessed with transmission electron microscopy, observing the effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The three surfactants caused various kinds of damage to the bacteria tested, such as structural alterations, leakage of internal material, and cell destruction.

Protonation behavior and solution properties of amine oxide surfactants containing a pyridyl group

Hydrogen bonding between surfactant molecules plays an important role in self-assembly formation. For long alkyl chain amine oxide surfactants, the specific protonation degree dependence of some solution properties has been considered to be due to hydrogen bonding between protonated and deprotonated species. In addition to this type of hydrogen bonding, we introduced a pyridyl group into an alkylamine oxide molecule as a new hydrogen-bonding site. The pyridyl group has three different structural isomers based on the position of the substituent. An amine oxide group in pyridylamine oxides was preferentially protonated. In addition, protonation of the pyridyl group revealed a pronounced substituent position effect on the critical micelle concentration, micellar size, and solubilization of oil-soluble dye into micelles. The intermolecular or intramolecular hydrogen bond formation could be controlled by altering the substituent position.

Self assembly of pH-sensitive cationic lysine based surfactants

Three cationic surfactants of the type N(ε)-acyl lysine methyl ester hydrochloride have been studied with respect to solution behavior and adsorption on the air/water interface, as well as the thermolyotropic behavior. The self-assembly of these surfactants, which have the cationic charge on amine protonated groups, was assessed by different physicochemical methods. Depending on the pH value, these surfactants can dissociate in aqueous solutions, losing the cationic charge. Therefore, knowledge of the pK(a) of these compounds is essential to explain their behavior in aqueous solutions. The bulk techniques, conductivity, and nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion (NMR) obtained similar critical micellar concentration (CMC) values, which were well above those obtained from surface tension. Surface tension measurements were strongly dependent on the technique used, namely, Wilhelmy plate and pendant drop. The phase behavior at medium to high concentrations has been studied by optical polarizing microscopy and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The X-ray studies showed that the lysine-based surfactants at low hydration have rich thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior. The results are discussed in terms of the structure of the compounds and the cationic charge of the molecule. We will show how apparently small changes in molecule structure have a large influence on phase behavior.

Interfacial behavior of catanionic surfactants

We report a dramatic increase in foam stability for catanionic mixtures (myristic acid and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide, CTABr) with respect to that of CTABr solutions. This increase was related to the low surface tension, high surface concentration, and high viscoelastic compression moduli, as measured with rising bubble experiments and ellipsometry. Dialysis of the catanionic mixtures has been used to decrease the concentration of free surfactant ions (CTA(+)). The equilibrium surface tension is reached faster for nondialyzed samples because of the presence of these free ions. As a consequence, the foamability of the dialyzed solutions is lower. Foam coarsening has been studied using multiple light scattering: it is similar for dialyzed and nondialyzed samples and much slower than for pure CTABr foams.

Phenomenological approaches in the thermodynamics of mixed micelles with electric charges

The stability of mixed micelles in general has been extensively studied by the molecular thermodynamic approaches as well as by the phenomenological or thermodynamic approaches. In this article, phenomenological approaches in the thermodynamics of charged mixed micelles, mostly on ionic/nonionic mixed micelles, are reviewed. The electrostatic interaction constitutes a main contribution to the excess free energy per monomer (in kT unit) g(ex) in the case of ionic/nonionic mixed micelles and the corresponding contribution is generally negative, known as the electric synergism. The origin of the electric synergism is shown to reside in positive curvatures of g(ex,el) (the electric part of g(ex)) when plotted against the mole fraction of the ionic species x. Two types of the micellar Gibbs-Duhem (MGD) relations with (type 1) or without (type 2) the contribution from counterions are discussed to clarify various confusions found in the literature. Effects of varying ionic strengths with the micelle composition in the case of charged mixed micelles without any supporting electrolyte are discussed and a relevant way to correct for the effects is proposed. For ionic/nonionic mixed micelles, the regular solution model (RSM) and some two-parameter models to overcome the limitations inherent to the RSM are discussed. For mixed micelles subject to type 2 MGD relation, hydrogen ion titrations could provide g(el) experimentally just as in the case of linear polyelectrolytes and for those micelles subject to RSM, the titration curve becomes a straight line. Useful information is presented originating from the thermodynamic analysis on the difference of the intrinsic proton dissociation constants between the micelle and the monomer. An analytical expression of the dependence of the degree of counterion binding on x is discussed in comparison with the molecular thermodynamic results. The Corrin-Harkins relation is compared with the degree of counterion binding for ionic/nonionic mixed micelles. Mixed micelles in the concentration range higher than the critical micelle concentration (cmc) are discussed for three cases, the general method of Funasaki-Hada, the ideal mixing case, and the RSM.

Potentiometric titrations of five synthetic tetraacids as models for indigenous C80 tetraacids

The acid/base properties, critical micelle concentrations (cmcs), and pH-dependent solubility of five synthetic tetraacids have been studied at several ionic strengths (20-600 mM NaCl) and in the pH range of 1.5-11 using high precision potentiometric titrations, tensiometer measurements, and UV spectroscopy, respectively. The molecular weight of the tetraacids ranged between 478 and 983 g/mol. The potentiometric titration data was evaluated in terms of thermodynamic equilibrium models, developed in the light of relevant solubility data, Langmuir monolayer compressions and cmc of the different tetraacids. The results indicate that for two of the tetraacids, called BP5 and BP7, two chemical forms fully dominate the speciation of the monomers; the insoluble fully protonated form, and the soluble fully deprotonated form. The partly protonated species, only play a very minor role in the speciation of these tetraacids. For the other tetraacids the results are more complicated; for the smallest tetraacid, called BP1, all species seem to play important roles, and for the most hydrophobic, BP10, the formation of micelles and aggregates severely complicates the evaluation of the speciation. For the tetraacid BP3 one of the partly deprotonated forms seems to be important, thus confirming the structure to properties relationship. In spite of the complicated micelle formation chemistry, and although not actually measured, the acid/base properties for the monomers of BP10 were interpreted by means of surface charge densities of the micellar aggregates. The modeling indicates an increase of the aggregation number of the micelle upon acidification, a result of formation of mixed micelles incorporating the fully protonated and deprotonated species. An intrinsic pK(a) of 5.4 for BP5 was used to model the monomer pK(a) of BP10, and corresponded well with a monolayer acidity constant pK(s)(a) of 5.5 obtained from surface collapse pressures of Langmuir monolayers as a function of pH.

Solubilization of amphiphilic carboxylic acids in nonionic micelles: determination of partition coefficients from pKa measurements and NMR experiments

The solubilization of octylamidotartaric acid (C8T) and octanoic acid (C8C) in Triton X-100 and Brij 58 nonionic micelles has been studied by pHmetric and 1H NMR self-diffusion experiments. As both C8C and C8T exhibit acid-base properties, a distinction between the partition of the neutral acidic form, in terms of the partition coefficient KPH, and the partition of the charged basic form, in terms of the partition coefficient KP-, has been made. The acidity constants, Ka, of C8T and C8C in the presence of micelles have been evaluated from pHmetric experiments. For both solutes, an increase in the pKa is observed in micellar media due to the difference in the partition of acidic and basic forms of the solutes. A model has been developed to determine KPH and KP- from the pKa shifts observed. The values obtained by this pKa shift modeling method and those from self-diffusion coefficient measurements are in good agreement. The acidic form of C8C is incorporated to a larger extent into the Brij 58 micelles than the acidic form of C8T, whereas the opposite trend is observed for the basic forms. Both the acidic and basic forms of C8T are more easily incorporated into Brij 58 micelles than into Triton X-100 micelles. The influence of the structure of the polar head on the solubilization properties is demonstrated. Moreover, evidence for the localization of the solutes in the micelles is obtained from the comparison of the partition coefficients and from 1H NMR data.