Investigation on the aggregation behaviors of DDAB/NaDEHP catanionic vesicles in the absence and presence of a negatively charged polyelectrolyte

The aggregation behaviors of the cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant vesicles formed by didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (NaDEHP) in the absence and presence of a negatively charged polyelectrolyte are investigated. The amount of the charge on the vesicle can be tuned by controlling the DDAB/NaDEHP surfactant molar ratio. The charged vesicular dispersions made of DDAB/NaDEHP are mixed with a negatively charged polyelectrolyte, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) sodium (PSSAMA), to form complexes. Depending on the polyelectrolyte/vesicle charge ratio, complex flocculation or precipitation occurs. Characterization of the catanionic vesicles and the complexes are performed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Cryo-TEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS), conductivity, turbidity, zeta potential, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements.     

表面活性剂双水相界面性质的研究

表面活性剂双水相是指正、负离子表面活性剂混合水溶液在一定浓度及混合比 范围内，自发分离形成的两个互不相溶的水相。前文报道了将其作为一种新型萃取 体系，用于生物活性物质的分离。目前有关其相行为、化学物质和生物大分子的分 配方面已有较多研究，但未见两相之间界面化学性质研究的报道。表面活性剂双水 相的形成是一种奇特的相分离现象，两个稀水溶液（含水量可高达99%以上）互不 相溶、平衡共存，其界面结构和界面张力必有其特殊性。     

Counterion binding on mixed anionic/cationic micelles

Measurements of counterion binding in mixtures of surfactant aqueous solutions have been performed to study the structure of the anionic/cationic mixed micelle/solution interface. The mixtures studied were SDS/DDAC and STS/TDPC. The binding of chloride and sodium ions to mixed anionic/cationic micelles was measured using ion-specific electrodes. Counterion binding was found to be strongly dependent on the molar ratio of surfactants present. The mixed micelle/solution interface includes the headgroups of both surfactants and counterions of surfactant in excess. The addition of oppositely charged surfactant caused an increasing dissociation of counterions.     

Formation of monodisperse charged vesicles in mixtures of cationic gemini surfactants and anionic SDS

The aggregation behavior of catanionics formed by the mixture of cationic geminis derived from dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) was studied by means of phase studies and comprehensive small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments at 25 °C and 50 mM overall concentration. The results are compared to those for the previously studied SDS + DTAC system. Various gemini spacers of different natures and geometries were used, but all of them had similar lengths: an ethoxy bridge, a double bond, and an aromatic ring binding the two DTACs in three different substitutions (ortho, meta, and para). SANS and SAXS data analysis indicates that the spacer has no large effect on the spheroidal micelles of pure surfactants formed at low concentration in water; however, specific effects appear with the addition of electrolytes. Microstructures formed in the catanionic mixtures are rather strongly dependent on the nature of the spacer. The most important finding is that for the hydrophilic, flexible ethoxy bridge, monodisperse vesicles with a fixed anionic/cationic charge ratio (depending only on the surfactant in excess) are formed. Furthermore, the composition of these vesicles shows that strongly charged aggregates are formed. This study therefore provides new opportunities for developing tailor-made gemini surfactants that allow for the fine tuning of catanionic structures.     

Protein binding onto surfactant-based synthetic vesicles

Synthetic vesicles were prepared by mixing anionic and cationic surfactants, aqueous sodium dodecylsulfate with didodecyltrimethylammonium or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The overall surfactant content and the (anionic/cationic) mole ratios allow one to obtain negatively charged vesicles. In the phase diagram, the vesicular region is located between a solution phase, a lamellar liquid crystalline dispersion, and a precipitate area. Characterization of the vesicles was performed by electrophoretic mobility, NMR, TEM, and DLS and we determined their uni-lamellar character, size, stability, and charge density. Negatively charged vesicular dispersions, made of sodium dodecylsulfate/didodecyltrimethylammonium bromide or sodium dodecylsulfate/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, were mixed with lysozyme, to form lipoplexes. Depending on the protein/vesicle charge ratio, binding, surface saturation, and lipoplexes flocculation, or precipitation, occurs. The free protein in excess remains in solution, after binding saturation. The systems were investigated by thermodynamic (surface tension and solution calorimetry), DLS, CD, TEM, 1H NMR, transport properties, electrophoretic mobility, and dielectric relaxation. The latter two methods give information on the vesicle charge neutralization by adsorbed protein. Binding is concomitant to modifications in the double layer thickness of vesicles and in the surface charge density of the resulting lipoplexes. This is also confirmed by developing the electrophoretic mobility results in terms of a Langmuir-like adsorption isotherm. Charges in excess with respect to the amount required to neutralize the vesicle surface promote lipoplexes clustering and/or flocculation. Protein-vesicle interactions were observed by DLS, indicating changes in particle size (and in their distribution functions) upon addition of LYSO. According to CD, the bound protein retains its native conformation, at least in the SDS/CTAB vesicular system. In fact, changes in the alpha-helix and beta-sheet conformations are moderate, if any. Calorimetric methods indicate that the maximum heat effect for LYSO binding occurs at charge neutralization. They also indicate that enthalpic are by far the dominant contributions to the system stability. Accordingly, energy effects associated with charge neutralization and double-layer contributions are much higher than counterion exchange and dehydration terms.     

The study of the partitioning mechanism of methyl orange in an aqueous two-phase system

An aqueous two-phase system of dodecyl triethylammonium bromide (C₁₂NE, cationic surfactant) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, anionic surfactant) mixture is proposed for the extraction of some dyes and porphyrin compounds. Transparent two phase-systems are formed when the surfactant concentrations and C₁₂NE/SDS ratios are in certain regions. In this study, the aqueous two phase-systems were prepared by mixing 0.1 mol l⁻¹ C₁₂NE and SDS with a molar ratio of 1.7:1.0. The results showed that negatively charged chlorophyll (sodium copper chlorophyllin) and positively charged dye (methyl violet) were efficiently extracted into the upper phase. The negatively charged methyl orange (pH>7) was moved into the upper phase mostly while amphoteric methyl orange (pH<3) was distributed in the two phases uniformly. Except for hydrophobic force, charge interaction between solute and surfactant also play an important role in the extraction process.     

Phase behavior in mixtures of cationic and anionic surfactants in aqueous solutions

Phase behavior of cationic/anionic surfactant mixtures of the same chain length (n=10, 12 or 14) strongly depends on the molar ratio and actual concentration of the surfactants. Precipitation of catanionic surfactant and mixed micelles formation are observed over the concentration range investigated. Coacervate and liquid crystals are found to coexist in the transition region from crystalline catanionic surfactant to mixed micelles.The addition of oppositely charged surfactant diminishes the surface charge density at the mixed micelle/solution interface and enhances the apparent degree of counterion dissociation from mixed micelles. Cationic surfactants have a greater tendency to be incorporated in mixed micelles than anionic ones.     

Interactions between polyampholytes and ionic surfactants

The interactions of two partially charged ampholytic terpolymers [consisting of acrylamide, sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonate, and 2-(methacryloyloxyethyl)trimethylammonium chloride segments with molar compositions 80/12/08 and 80/08/12] and two fully charged ampholytic copolymers (containing only the two latter comonomers with molar compositions of 80/20 and 50/50), with cationic surfactants [tetradecyl- trimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)] and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), are investigated. The studies include phase behaviour (swelling, solubilisation, precipitation), viscometry, electrical conductivity, and potentiometry (bromide ion and surfactant ion-specific electrodes). The 80/08/12 and 80/12/08 polyampholytes swell in water and are solubilised in the presence of cationic or anionic surfactants above a particular surfactant concentration that is proportional to the polymer concentration. The polyampolyte 80/20 is soluble in water but precipitates in the presence of TTAB, whereas 50/50 is insoluble in water and in the presence of TTAB, but is solubilised upon addition of SDS. The results indicate that TTAB binds to 80/12/08 with little or no cooperativity. Solubilisation appears to be the result of the increasing polyelectrolyte character of the polyampholyte upon neutralisation of its charged sites by bound surfactant ions of opposite charge. The binding of TTAB by the 50/50 polyampholyte is very weak and non-cooperative. In contrast, 80/20 binds TTAB cooperatively, much like a true polyelectrolyte-surfactant system of opposing charges. In particular, the binding is characterised by the existence of a critical aggregation concentration. A partial phase diagram for this system has been determined from the TTA⁺-electrode potential data. The behaviour of true polyelectrolytes and polyampholytes, with respect to their interaction with surfactants, is discussed. Received: 22 July 1998 Accepted: 14 September 1998     

DNA encapsulation by biocompatible catanionic vesicles

The encapsulation of DNA by catanionic vesicles has been investigated; the vesicles are composed of one cationic surfactant, in excess, and one anionic. Since cationic systems are often toxic, we introduced a novel divalent cationic amino-acid-based amphiphile, which may enhance transfection and appears to be nontoxic, in our catanionic vesicle mixtures. The cationic amphiphile is arginine-N-lauroyl amide dihydrochloride (ALA), while the anionic one is sodium cetylsulfate (SCS). Vesicles formed spontaneously in aqueous mixtures of the two surfactants and were characterized with respect to internal structure and size by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM); the vesicles are markedly polydisperse. The results are compared with a study of an analogous system based on a short-chained anionic surfactant, sodium octylsulfate (SOS). Addition of DNA to catanionic vesicles resulted in associative phase separation at very low DNA concentrations; there is a separation into a precipitate and a supernatant solution; the latter is first bluish but becomes clearer as more DNA is added. From studies using cryo-TEM and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) it is demonstrated that there is a lamellar structure with DNA arranged between the amphiphile bilayers. Comparing the SOS containing DNA-vesicle complexes with the SCS ones, an increase in the repeat distance is perceived for SCS. Regarding the phase-separating DNA-amphiphile particles, cryo-TEM demonstrates a large and nonmonotonic variation of particle size as the DNA-amphiphile ratio is varied, with the largest particles obtained in the vicinity of overall charge neutrality. No major differences in phase behavior were noticed for the systems here presented as compared with those based on classical cationic surfactants. However, the prospect of using these systems in real biological applications offers a great advantage.     

Phase Behavior in Mixtures of Cationic Dimeric and Anionic Monomeric Surfactants

The formation of mixed aggregates has been investigated in the mixture of oppositely charged surfactants vastly differing in molecular geometry and size. The systems considered is mixture of the cationic gemini surfactant, ethanediyl-1,2-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium bromide), and anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate. Various mixed nano- and microaggregates (micelles, vesicles, thin lamellar sheets, and tubules) were formed depending on bulk composition and total surfactant concentration. Two types of aggregates were found in precipitate, the tubules as prevailing aggregates on the gemini-rich side, and vesicles as prevailing aggregates on the SDS-rich side. The tubules formation was ascribed to mutual influence of specific structure of cationic dimeric surfactant and electrostatic interactions at the bilayer/solution interface. The proposed mechanism involved the formation of lamellar sheets, which rolled-up into tubules.     

Threadlike micelle formation of anionic surfactants in aqueous solution

We have investigated the formation of threadlike micelles consisting of anionic surfactants and certain additives in aqueous solution. Threadlike micelles long enough to be entangled with each other were formed in a clear aqueous solution of two anionic surfactants, sodium hexadecyl sulfate and sodium tetradecyl sulfate. These solutions also contained pentylammonium bromides or p-toluidine halides and exhibited remarkable viscoelasticity. Because the molar ratio of surfactants to cationic additives in these micelles seemed close to unity, they formed 1:1 stoichiometric complexes between surfactant anions and additive cations, as previously found in systems of cationic surfactants such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium salicylate. The viscoelastic behavior of these anionic threadlike micellar systems was adequately described by a simple Maxwell element with a single relaxation time and strength, as in many similar cationic systems.     

Fabrication of positively charged catanionic vesicles from ion pair amphiphile with double-chained cationic surfactant

In this study, a pseudodouble-chained ion pair amphiphile, hexadecyltrimethylammonium-dodecylsulfate (HTMA-DS), was prepared from a mixture of cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylsulfate. Positively charged catanionic vesicles were then successfully fabricated from HTMA-DS with the addition of cationic surfactants, dialkyldimethylammonium bromide (DXDAB), including ditetradecyldimethylammonium bromide (DTDAB), dihexadecyldimethylammonium bromide, and dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB), with a mechanical disruption approach. The control of charge characteristic and physical stability of the catanionic vesicles through the variations of DXDAB molar fraction and alkyl chain length was then explored by size, zeta potential, and Fourier transform infrared analyses. It was found that the molecular packing and/or molecular interaction of HTMA-DS with DXDAB rather than the electrostatic repulsion between the charged vesicles dominated the physical stability of the mixed HTMA-DS/DXDAB vesicles. The presence of DTDAB, which possesses short alkyl chains, could adjust the packing of the unmatched chains of HTMA⁺ and DS^? and promote the vesicle formation. However, the weak molecular interaction due to the short chains of DTDA⁺ could not maintain the vesicle structures in long-term storage. With increasing the alkyl chain length of DXDAB, it was possible to improve the vesicle physical stability through the enhanced molecular interaction in the vesicular bilayer. However, the long alkyl chains of DODAB unmatched with those of HTMA-DS, resulting in the vesicle disintegration in long-term storage. For the formation of stable charged catanionic vesicles of HTMA-DS/DXDAB, a good match in hydrophobic chains and strong molecular interaction were preferred for the vesicle-forming molecules.     

Spontaneous Formation of Biocompatible Vesicles in Aqueous Mixtures of Amino Acid‐Based Cationic Surfactants and SDS/SDBS

The spontaneous formation of vesicles by six amino acid‐based cationic surfactants and two anionic surfactants (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) is reported. The head‐group structure of the cationic surfactants is minutely altered to understand their effect on vesicle formation. To establish the regulatory role of the aromatic group in self‐aggregation, both aliphatic and aromatic side‐chain‐substituted amino acid‐based cationic surfactants are used. The presence of aromaticity in any one of the constituents favors the formation of vesicles by cationic/anionic surfactant mixtures. The formation of vesicles is primarily dependent on the balance between the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of both cationic and anionic surfactants. Vesicle formation is characterized by surface tension, fluorescence anisotropy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and phase diagrams. These vesicles are thermally stable up to 65 °C, determined by temperature‐dependent fluorescence anisotropy. According to the MTT assay, these catanionic vesicles are nontoxic to NIH3T3 cells, thus indicating their wider applicability as delivery vehicles to cells. Among the six cationic surfactants examined, tryptophan‐ and tyrosine‐based surfactants have the ability to reduce HAuCl₄ to gold nanoparticles (GNPs), which is utilized to obtain in‐situ‐synthesized GNPs entrapped in vesicles without the need for any external reducing agent.     

Thermal analysis of aqueous micellar solutions

A micro differential temperature scanning calorimeter was used to characterize the structural changes between different types of micelles in aqueous solutions of ionic surfactants: anionic — sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) — and cationic — hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Moreover, this technique allowed to confirm the existence of peculiar types of complexes between surfactants and selected solutes. In SDS solutions containing polyethylene glycols (PEG), the presence of complexes formed by small micelles adsorbed along the chains of the polymers was evidenced in the case of long enough polymer chains. In CTAB-phenol solutions, due to strong interactions between the polar heads of surfactant and phenol, molecular complexes of a composition of 1:1 molar ratio have been characterized. Depending on the ratio [phenol]/[CTAB], the rheological behaviour was found to change from fluid to viscoelastic and gel-like solutions, owing to the growth of elongated rod-like micelles. With entangled worm-like micelles, the important role of kinetics to reach the thermodynamic equilibria was shown.     

Gelation of "catanionic" vesicles by hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes

The gelation of mixed cationic/anionic surfactant vesicles of sodium dodecyl sulfate/didodecyldimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate/cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate by hydrophobically modified sodium polyacrylate is studied rheologically. When the vesicles are cationically charged, mixtures with this anionic polyelectrolyte form precipitates. When the vesicles are anionically charged, however, these mixtures display a progression from a Maxwell fluid to a critical gel to a solidlike gel with increasing vesicle and/or polyelectrolyte concentration. Consideration of the viscous behavior with increasing vesicle and polymer volume fraction indicates that the gel network is formed by the bridging of the hydrophobically modified polymer between vesicles. The similarity between the gelation results for the two anionic systems suggests the results can be generalized to other similarly charged mixtures.     

表面活性剂双水相的性质及其应用 Ⅰ. 表面活性剂双水相的微环境性质

阴、阳离子表面活性剂混合体系, 在一定浓度及混合比范围内, 可以形成两个互不相溶、平衡共存的水相, 称为表面活性剂双水相。其中阳离子表面活性剂过量的双水相体系, 称为阳离子双水相。本文分别以芘和罗丹明B作为探针, 用荧光探针法研究了摩尔比为1.6:1的C12NE和SDS混合体系成形成的阳离子双水相,测定其上层和下层的胶束微环境的极性和微粘度, 取得了有意义的结果。     

Surfactant vesicles for high-efficiency capture and separation of charged organic solutes

We demonstrate the unique ability of catanionic vesicles, formed by mixing single-tailed cationic and anionic surfactants, to capture ionic solutes with remarkable efficiency. In an initial study (Wang, X.; Danoff, E. J.; Sinkov, N. A.; Lee, J.-H.; Raghavan, S. R.; English, D. S. Langmuir 2006, 22, 6461) with vesicles formed from cetyl trimethylammonium tosylate (CTAT) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), we showed that CTAT-rich (cationic) vesicles could capture the anionic solute carboxyfluorescein with high efficiency (22%) and that the solute was retained by the vesicles for very long times (t1/2 = 84 days). Here we expand on these findings by investigating the interactions of both anionic and cationic solutes, including the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin, with both CTAT-rich and SDBS-rich vesicles. The ability of these vesicles to capture and hold dyes is extremely efficient (>20%) when the excess charge of the vesicle bilayer is opposite that of the solute (i.e., for anionic solutes in CTAT-rich vesicles and for cationic solutes in SDBS-rich vesicles). This charge-dependent effect is strong enough to enable the use of vesicles to selectively capture and separate an oppositely charged solute from a mixture of solutes. Our results suggest that catanionic surfactant vesicles could be useful for a variety of separation and drug delivery applications because of their unique properties and long-term stability.     

正、负离子表面活性剂混合体系溶致液晶生成的相行为

研究了烷基(C8,C12,C14)三甲基溴化铵、烷基(C12,C14)溴化吡啶与烷基(C8,C12)硫酸钠混合体系溶致液晶形成的条件与结构的变化.在高浓度的水溶液中,随着正、负离子表面活性剂摩尔比接近于1,液晶结构由六角相过渡为层状相.表面活性剂非极性链长改变,对相行为影响显著,短碳链的正、负离子表面活性剂混合体系,在等摩尔比时,体系为层状液晶或立方液晶为主,夹杂少许沉淀.随碳链增长,两类表面活性剂间的静电吸引效果表现为生成沉淀的摩尔比例范围变宽,沉淀量增多,共存的液晶相减少,甚至消失.若只改变正离子的极性头基,季胺盐比吡啶盐与烷基硫酸盐的作用要强,形成不溶物的混合摩尔比例范围更宽.     

Aqueous Two‐Phase System (ATPS) Containing Gemini (12‐3‐12,2Br−) and SDS I: Phase Diagram and Properties of ATPS

Two phases coexist in an aqueous system that contains the two surfactants cationic gemini 12‐3‐12,2Br? and anionic SDS. An aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS) is formed in a narrow region of the ternary phase diagram different from that of traditional aqueous cationic‐anionic surfactant systems. In that region, the molar ratio of gemini to SDS varies with the total concentration of surfactants. ATPS not only has higher stability but also has longer phase separation time for the new systems than that of the traditional system. Furthermore, the optical properties of ATPS are different at different total concentrations. All of these experimental observations can be attributed to the unique properties of gemini surfactant and the synergy between the cationic gemini surfactant and the anionic surfactant SDS.     

表面活性剂阴离子双水相新体系及其对卟啉、染料的萃取

由阴阳离子型表面活性剂水溶液混合形成的双水相［１,２］是水相分离技术中的一个新分支．ＺＨＡＯ等［２］将阴阳离子表面活性剂过量的体系分别称为阴阳离子双水相．由溴化十二烷基三乙铵（Ｃ１２ＮＥ）和十二烷基硫酸钠（ＳＤＳ）组成的阳离子双水相对蛋白质［１］、酶［３］、氨基酸［４］和卟啉［５,６］等的萃取分离已有报道．与阳离子双水相比较,阴离子双水相分相时间慢,其萃取应用研究尚未见报道．本文在详细研究了ＳＤＳ－Ｃ１２ＮＥ阴离子双水相的基础上,将全氟型阴离子表面活性剂全氟辛酸钠（ＳＰＦＯ）引入这类水相分离体系…