Spatio-temporal perturbation of the dynamics of the ferroin catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in a batch reactor caused by sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles

The effects of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the spatio-temporal and temporal dynamics of the ferroin-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction have been studied over a wide surfactant concentration range. For the first time, investigations were performed also for unstirred systems. The presence of SDS in the reaction mixture influences the oscillatory parameters to an extent that significantly depends on the surfactant concentration. The trend of the wave speed v upon the increasing amount of SDS was found to have a maximum at [SDS] = 0.075 mol dm (-3) ( v = 0.071 mm s (-1)), after which the speed decreased to 0.043 mm s (-1) at [SDS] = 0.5 mol dm (-3), which is below the value found in the absence of the surfactant ( v = 0.055 mm s (-1)). The response of the oscillatory BZ system to the addition of SDS has been ascribed to two different causes: (a) the peculiar capability of the organized surfactant assemblies to affect the reactivity by selectively sequestering some key reacting species and (b) the modifications induced by SDS on the physical properties of the medium. These hypotheses have been corroborated by performing spectrophotometric investigations on the stirred BZ system. Complementary viscosity measurements gave useful hints for the clarification of the surfactant role.     

Effects of non-ionic micelles on transient chaos in an unstirred Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction

The behaviour of the Ce(IV)-catalyzed Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) system has been monitored at 20.0 degrees C in unstirred batch conditions in the absence and presence of different amounts of the non-ionic micelle-forming surfactants hexaethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C10E6) and hexaethylene glycol monotetradecyl ether (C14E6). The influence of the non-ionic surfactants on both the kinetics of the oxidation of malonic acid (MA) by Ce(IV) species and the behaviour of the BZ reaction in stirred batch conditions has also been studied over a wide surfactant concentration range. The experimental results have shown that, in unstirred batch conditions, at surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) no significant change in the dynamics of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky system occurs. Beyond this critical concentration the presence of micelles forces the BZ system to undergo a chaos-->quasi-periodicity-->period-1 transition. Thus, the surfactant concentration has been considered as a bifurcation parameter for a Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse (RTN) scenario. Addition of increasing amounts of non-ionic surfactants has no significant effect on the kinetics of the reaction between MA and Ce(IV), but it influences the oscillatory parameters of the stirred BZ system. At surfactant concentrations below the c.m.c. all the oscillatory parameters are practically unaffected by the presence of surfactant, while beyond this critical value the induction period is the same as in aqueous solution but both the oscillation period and the duration of the rising portion of the oscillatory cycle decrease. In all cases, the experimental trends have been ascribed to the enhancement in the medium viscosity due to the presence of micelles.     

表面活性剂与叶酸的相互作用及其对光氧化降解的影响

表面活性剂与有机小分子作用不仅能提高表面活性剂的聚集能力,还能提高小分子的溶解度、稳定性等应用性能,因此研究二者之间的相互作用机理对于促进表面活性剂的发展和实际应用具有重要意义。本工作提出了一种利用功能有机小分子调控表面活性剂聚集行为,进而提高不稳定小分子自身稳定性的新策略。利用表面张力、紫外可见吸收光谱、荧光光谱、动态光散射、等温滴定量热和核磁共振技术研究了在p H为7.0时,叶酸分别与十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)、十二烷基三甲基溴化铵(DTAB)、季铵盐Gemini 12-6-12和季铵盐线性三聚12-3-12-3-12四种表面活性剂之间的相互作用及其导致的叶酸光氧化降解性能的变化,结果表明,阴离子表面活性剂SDS抑制叶酸光氧化降解的效率较低,而阳离子表面活性剂都能够显著抑制叶酸的光氧化降解,且随着表面活性剂寡聚度的增加,抑制效果增强,所需表面活性剂的浓度显著降低,寡聚表面活性剂12-3-12-3-12的抑制效率高达96%。     

Influence of Micellar Propinquity on Dynamics of Ce(IV)‐Catalyzed BZ Oscillatory Reaction under Stirred Conditions

Oscillating reactions often employed to mimic and understand complex dynamics in biological systems are known to be affected in aggregated host environments. The dynamic evolution of the oscillatory Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction upon addition of increasing amounts of anionic (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate; SDBS), cationic (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide; CTAB), nonionic (polyoxyethylene(20) cetyl ether; Brij58), and binary mixtures (CTAB + Brij58 and SDBS + Brij58) of surfactants was monitored using potentiometry at 25 and 35°C under stirred batch conditions. The experimental results reveal that the oscillatory parameters of the Ce(IV)‐catalyzed BZ reaction are significantly altered depending on the concentration and nature of restricted micellar host environments. In the presence of ionic surfactants, it is proposed that the evolution of the oscillatory BZ system may be due to atypical proficiency (related to hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions) of such organized self‐assemblies to affect the reactivity by selectively confiscating some key reacting species. However, the response of the BZ system to nonionic Brij58 was attributed to the reaction among the alcoholic functional groups of the surfactant with some vital species of the BZ reaction. Moreover, the nonionic + ionic binary surfactant systems exhibited behaviors representative of both the constitutive single surfactant systems.     

Small-angle X-ray scattering and electron paramagnetic resonance study of the interaction of bovine serum albumin with ionic surfactants

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques have been used to monitor the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with ionic surfactants such as anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), zwitterionic N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonium-1-propane sulfonate (HPS), and cationic cethyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) at pH 7.0. The SAXS results have shown that in the presence of 5 mM SDS and HPS the radius of gyration (Rg) almost does not change as compared to the BSA free-surfactant solution; its value is ca. 30 Angstroms. In the presence of 5 mM CTAC the SAXS data indicate the presence of a particle with a Rg of at least 63 Angstroms, suggesting that in this case, a kind of protein aggregation takes place. In the presence of SDS and HPS surfactants at concentrations above 10 mM, a characteristic broad peak in the region of 0.12-0.18 Angstroms(-1) indicates the presence of micelle-like aggregates in solution. The SAXS curves are consistent with the "pearl necklace" model, where micelle-like aggregates are randomly distributed around the polypeptide chain. EPR results using 5-DSA and 16-DSA spin labels show that in the presence of BSA the EPR spectra are composed of two label populations, one contacting the protein and a second one due to label localization in the micelles. Evidence is also obtained for a competition of the surfactants with the spin labels for the high-affinity binding sites of the stearic acid spin labels as monitored by changes in the fractions of the two label populations as the surfactant concentration is increased. The effect of SDS seems to be stronger in the sense that increased SDS concentration leads to a complete transfer of spin labels from close protein contact sites to micelles, while for HPS, a significant immobilization of probe apparently remains even at higher surfactant concentrations. These two techniques are quite useful since SAXS monitors the overall properties of the scattering particle, while EPR gives information on the dynamics inside this particle and associated with label localization and motion.     

Influence of the polyelectrolyte poly(ethyleneimine) on the adsorption of surfactant mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulfate and monododecyl hexaethylene glycol at the air-solution interface

The polyelectrolyte poly(ethylenenimine), PEI, is shown to strongly influence the adsorption of the anionic-nonionic surfactant mixture of sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and monododecyl hexaethylene glycol, C(12)E(6), at the air-solution interface. In the presence of PEI, the partitioning of the mixed surfactants to the interface is highly pH-dependent. The adsorption is more strongly biased to the SDS as the pH increases, as the PEI becomes a weaker polyelectrolyte. At surfactant concentrations >10(-4) M, the strong interaction and adsorption result in multilayer formation at the interface, and this covers a more extensive range of surfactant concentrations at higher pH values. The results are consistent with a strong interaction between SDS and PEI at the surface that is not predominantly electrostatic in origin. It provides an attractive route to selectively manipulate the adsorption and composition of surfactant mixtures at interfaces.     

A general chemiluminescence method for the determination of surfactants based on its quenching effect on the luminol-NaIO4-cyclodextrin reaction

Here we report that all types of surfactant could be simply and sensitively determined, by directly quenching the chemiluminescence (CL) between luminol and NaIO4 in a basic solution containing one polyhydroxyl compound such as cyclodextrin (CD), glucose or glycerol. This specific quenching effect was attributed to the change of the microenvironment of the CL reaction, caused by the addition of various surfactants. Based on this fact, the potential use of this CL reaction was exemplified by the cationic surfactant CTMAB, anionic surfactant SDS and non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100. It was found that the measurable range of CTMAB, SDS and Triton X-100 were 4.0 x 10(-6)-4.0 x 10(-4) M by using a basic CD-luminol-NaIO4 CL reaction. With our simple setup, CTMAB, SDS and Triton X-100 were detectable at a concentration as low as 2 microM. Overall, this new CL reaction is quite promising for the post-column determination of surfactant mixtures.     

Effect of water hardness on the interaction of cationic dye with anionic surfactants

ABSTRACT

The effect of water hardness causing ions on the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of surfactants was studied using conductivity measurement. Spectrophotometric and conductometric studies of dye and surfactant interaction under the influence of water hardness causing ions were also investigated. It was found that with increasing hardness in water, cmc of the surfactants tends to decrease. The change in the colour of the solution was observed as the degree of hardness increases. Hardness of water can consider as a major contributor of fading or change in colour during washing and cleaning of dyed material. Dye in a surfactant solution containing varying amount of hardness causing ions undergoes a blue shift in the visible region and red shift in ultraviolet region. The comparison between sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and saponin natural surfactant showed that turbidity was observed only in the aqueous solution of SDS in the presence of very hard water.     

Effects of common surfactants on protein digestion and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of the digested peptides using two-layer sample preparation

While surfactants are commonly used in preparing protein samples, their presence in a protein sample can potentially affect the enzymatic digestion process and the subsequent analysis of the resulting peptides by mass spectrometry. The extent of the tolerance of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to surfactant interference in peptide analysis is very much dependent on the matrix/sample preparation method. In this work the effects of four commonly used surfactants, namely n-octyl glucoside (OG), Triton X-100 (TX-100), 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), for biological sample preparation on trypsin digestion and MALDI-MS of the resulting digest are examined in detail within the context of using a two-layer method for MALDI matrix/sample preparation. Non-ionic and mild surfactants, such as OG, TX-100 or CHAPS, are found to have no significant effect on trypsin digestion with surfactant concentrations up to 1%. However, TX-100 and CHAPS interfere with the subsequent peptide analysis by MALDI-MS and should be removed prior to peptide analysis. OG is an MS-friendly surfactant and no effect is observed for MALDI peptide analysis. The effect of SDS on trypsin digestion in terms of the number of peptides generated and the overall protein sequence coverage by these peptides is found to be protein dependent. The use of SDS to solubilize hydrophobic membrane proteins, followed by trypsin digestion in the presence of 0.1% SDS, results in a peptide mixture that can be analyzed directly by MALDI-MS. These peptides are shown to provide better sequence coverage compared with those obtained without the use of SDS in the case of bacteriorhodopsin, a very hydrophobic transmembrane protein. This work illustrates that MALDI-MS with the two-layer sample preparation method can be used for direct analysis of protein digests with no or minimum sample cleanup after proteins are digested in a solution containing surfactants.     

Surfactant effect on electrochemical-induced synthesis of α-Ni(OH)2

Nickel hydroxide films were electrosynthesized in the presence of different diluted surfactant solutions by galvanostatic electroprecipitation. Lamellar α-Ni(OH)₂ films are obtained using cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and also neutral surfactant Tween® 80. The films were structurally and morphologically characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemically by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The results evidenced that SDS remains intercalated between the lamellae of α-Ni(OH)₂. Albeit the presence of CTAB and Tween® 80, it was noticed in FTIR spectra that the surfactants did not intercalate. The morphology was affected by the presence of different surfactants. All studied surfactants displaced the oxidation potential (E _O) of Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ process to less positive values. Also, the presence of surfactants improved the electrode charge efficiency and the charge response for the same number of moles of nickel ions deposited. The ratio of the charge and frequency change is 4.4 times bigger for films deposited with SDS when compared with pure α-Ni(OH)₂ films.     

Atmospheric and electrochemical oxidation of ascorbic acid in anionic,nonionic and cationic surfactant systems

It is well known that the antioxidant activity of some species in homogenous solutions may not be the same as that in heterogeneous media. This environment dependence is the reason for investigating ascorbic acid antioxidant activity in surfactant solutions. In our study we have investigated the kinetics of atmospheric oxidation and electrochemical oxidation of ascorbic acid in aqueous solutions of the four surfactants: SDS, AOT (anionic), TRITON-100 (nonionic), and CTAB (cationic). For each surfactant the concentrations below and above CMC were investigated. As expected, a general trend in the atmospheric oxidation rate changes in the following manner: the micellar solution of nonionic surfactant shows a faster oxidation rate than that of the anionic surfactant, and the cationic surfactant an even higher one. The more subtle effects were observed with each surfactant concentration change. The influence of the surfactants on the electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid was also studied. A general conclusion emerging from our investigation is that surfactants shift the ascorbic acid oxidation potential and change the peak current value. This phenomenon is due mainly to the surfactant film formed at the electrode/solution interface.     

Nonlinear response of a batch BZ oscillator to the addition of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate

The response of the Belousov-Zhabotinsy (BZ) system to the addition of increasing amounts of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was monitored at 25.0 degrees C in stirred batch conditions. The presence of SDS in the reaction mixture influences the oscillatory parameters, i.e., induction period and oscillation period, to an extent that depends on the surfactant concentration. The experimental results have shown that the induction period increases slightly on increasing surfactant concentration and, then, a further increase in the [SDS] leads to an enhancement while the oscillation period increases monotonously on increasing SDS concentration. It has been proposed that the response of the oscillatory BZ system to the addition of SDS is due to the peculiar capability of the organized surfactant assemblies to affect the reactivity by selectively sequestering some key reacting species. Indeed, explanations of the experimental results have been given on the basis of the role played by the micellar shape, which in turn dictates the hydrophobic nature. The suggested perturbation effects have been supported by performing viscosity measurements on the aqueous SDS solutions and by the spectrophotometric estimation of the binding constant of the bromine species to the micellar aggregates. This study has indirectly corroborated the existence of two kind of micelles and unambiguously revealed that the bromine species show a different affinity toward the spherical and rod-like micelles.     

Influence of pH, ionic strength, and temperature on self-association and interactions of sodium dodecyl sulfate in the absence and presence of chitosan

Chitosan is a cationic biopolymer that has many potential applications in the food industry because of its unique nutritional and physicochemical properties. Many of these properties depend on its ability to interact with anionic surface-active molecules, such as surfactants, phospholipids, and bile acids. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of pH (3 and 7), ionic strength (0-200 mM NaCl), and temperature (10-50 degrees C) on the interactions between a model anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) and chitosan using isothermal titration calorimetry, selective surfactant electrode, and turbidity measurements. At pH 3 and 30 degrees C, SDS bound strongly to chitosan to form an insoluble complex that contained about 4-5 mmol of SDS/1 g of chitosan at saturation. When SDS and chitosan were mixed at pH 7 they did not interact strongly, presumably because the biopolymer had lost most of its positive charge at this pH. However, when SDS and chitosan were mixed at pH 3 and then the solution was adjusted to pH 7, the SDS remained bound to the chitosan. The presence of NaCl (0-200 mM) in the solutions decreased the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of SDS (in both the absence and the presence of chitosan) but had little influence on the amount of SDS bound to chitosan at saturation. The cmc of SDS and the amount of SDS bound to the chitosan at saturation were largely independent of the holding temperature (10-40 degrees C). Nevertheless, the enthalpy changes associated with micelle dissociation were highly temperature-dependent, indicating the importance of hydrophobic interactions, whereas the enthalpy changes associated with SDS-chitosan binding were almost temperature-independent, indicating the dominant contribution of electrostatic interactions. This study provides information that may lead to the rational design of chitosan-based ingredients or products with specific nutritional and functional characteristics, for example, cholesterol lowering.     

Global study of myoglobin-surfactant interactions

Surfactants interact with proteins in multifarious ways which depend on surfactant concentration and structure. To obtain a global overview of this process, we have analyzed the interaction of horse myoglobin (Mb) with an anionic (SDS) and cationic (CTAC) surfactant, using both equilibrium titration techniques and stopped-flow kinetics. Binding and kinetics of conformational changes can be divided into a number of different regions (five below the cmc and one above) with very distinct features (broadly similar between the two surfactants, despite their difference in head group and chain length), which nuance the classical view of biphasic binding prior to micellization. In stage A, fairly weak interactions lead to a linear decrease in thermal stability. This gives way to a more cooperative process in stage B, where aggregates (presumably hemimicelles) start to form on the protein surface, leading to global denaturation (loss of a thermal transition) and biphasic unfolding kinetics. This is consolidated in stage C with titratable surfactant adsorption. Adsorption of this surfactant species leads to significant changes in kinetics, namely, inhibition of unfolding kinetics in CTAC and altered unfolding amplitudes in SDS, though the process is still biphasic in both surfactants. Stage D commences the reduction in exothermic binding signals, leading to further uptake of 5 (SDS) or 31 (CTAC) surfactant molecules without any major changes in protein conformation. In stage E many more surfactant molecules (46 SDS and 39 CTAC) are bound, presumably as quasi-micellar structures, and we observe a very slow unfolding phase in SDS, which disappears as we reach the cmc. Above the cmc, the unfolding rates remain essentially constant in SDS, but increase significantly in CTAC, possibly because binding of bulk micelles removes the inhibition by hemimicellar aggregates. Our work highlights the fascinating richness of conformational changes that proteins can undergo in the presence of molecules with self-assembling properties.     

SDS对SB3-12胶束表面电荷密度的调控作用及对药物增溶的影响

两性离子甜菜碱表面活性剂(SB3-12)胶束具有较好的生物相容性,由于相反电荷的极性头之间具有静电中和作用,胶束表面具有小的负电荷密度。当加入阴离子的十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)以后,负离子SD-与SB3-12胶束极性区内层季铵正电荷的静电中和作用,能连续地调节胶束表面磺酸基的负电荷密度,这有利于对药物分子的选择性增溶和调节在生理条件下的药物的输送。等温滴定量热(ITC)研究发现SB3-12和SDS有强的协同效应,混合临界胶束浓度(CMC)和胶束化焓明显降低,并得到两者协同效应的弱静电作用机理。当模型药物分子芦丁(Rutin)与SB3-12/SDS混合胶束作用时,芦丁7位羟基的氢解离后的阴离子与SDS共同作用于SB3-12形成混合胶束。UV-Vis吸收光谱和~1H NMR谱研究发现,在SB3-12胶束中,芦丁分子的A环位于季铵阳离子附近,B环位于两个相反电荷之间的弱极性区域。在SDS胶束中,B环位于栅栏层,而A环和二糖暴露于水相侧。在混合胶束中,随着SDS摩尔分数增加,对A环的静电吸引变弱。离子表面活性剂对两性离子表面活性剂胶束表面电荷密度的调节作用,本质上是对胶束极性区域的物理及化学性质的微调,进而实现对药物的可控增溶。     

Effect of self‐assemblies of various surfactants in their single and mixed states on the BZ oscillatory reaction

Micelles of different surfactants are well known to affect chemical equilibria and reactivities by selectively sequestering the reagent substrates through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. In this article, the effects of micelles of various surfactants on different parameters of the Ce(IV)‐catalyzed Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) oscillatory reaction at 35°C in nonstirred closed conditions are studied by employing spectrophotometry and tensiometry. Surfactants used in this study are the cationics hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and pentamethylene‐1,5‐bis(N‐hexadecyl‐N,N‐dimethylammonium)bromide gemini (Gemini), anionic sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and nonionic Brij58, whereas the binary surfactant systems used are cationic–nonionic CTAB+Brij58 and anionic–nonionic SDBS+Brij58. The results revealed that the induction period shows a definite variation with increasing concentration of different surfactants above their critical micelle concentration (cmc). The amplitudes of oscillation and absorbance maxima and minima are enhanced in the presence of micelles of CTAB and Gemini surfactants, whereas micelles of SDBS and Brij58 have almost no effect on the nature of the oscillations. However, mixed micelles of CTAB+Brij58 and SDBS+Brij58 binary mixtures show a quite different effect on the overall behavior of the oscillations. The enhanced effect of CTAB and Gemini surfactants on the overall nature of oscillations has been attributed to the positive charge on the surface of their micelles and to some extent on the presence of nitrogen in their head group. The effect of mixed binary micelles may be attributed to their synergistic nature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 659–668, 2010     

Sonochemistry of surfactants in aqueous solutions: an EPR spin-trapping study.

The surfactant properties of solutes play an important role in the sonochemistry and sonoluminescence of aqueous solutions. Recently, it has been shown, for relatively low molecular weight surfactants, that these effects can be correlated with the Gibbs surface excess of the solute. In the present study we investigate whether this correlation is valid for relatively high molecular weight surfactants and the mechanisms of surfactant decomposition during sonolysis. Sonolysis of argon-saturated aqueous solutions of nonvolatile surfactants [n-alkanesulfonates, n-alkyl sulfates, n-alkylammoniopropanesulfonates (APS), and poly(oxyethylenes) (POE)] was investigated by EPR and spin-trapping with 3,5-dibromo-4-nitrosobenzenesulfonate. Secondary carbon radicals (-.CH-), formed by abstraction reactions, were observed for all surfactants that were sonicated. The yield of primary carbon (-.CH(2)) and methyl (.CH(3)) radicals that are formed by pyrolysis is greatest for the zwitterionic (i.e., APS) and nonionic surfactants (i.e., POE). The yield of (-.CH-) radicals was measured following sonolysis of n-alkyl anionic surfactants [sodium pentanesulfonate (SPSo), sodium octanesulfonate (SOSo), sodium octyl sulfate (SOS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)]. In the concentration range of 0-0.3 mM, the -.CH- radical yield increases in the order SDS approximately equal to SOS approximately equal to SOSo > SPSo. At higher concentrations, a plateau in the maximum (-.CH-) radical yield is reached for each surfactant, which follows the order SPSo > SOS approximately equal to SOSo > SDS; i.e., the radical scavenging efficiency increases with decreasing n-alkyl chain length. A similar trend was observed for the .CH(3) yield following sonolysis of a homologous series of n-alkyl APS surfactants. The results show that the Gibbs surface excess of certain nonvolatile surfactants does not correlate with the extent of decomposition following sonolysis in aqueous solutions. Instead, the decomposition of surfactants depends on their chemical structure and their ability to equilibrate between the bulk solution and the gas/solution interface of cavitation bubbles.     

On the interaction of bovine serum albumin with ionic surfactants: temperature induced EPR changes of a maleimide nitroxide reflect local protein dynamics and probe solvent accessibility

The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with the ionic surfactants sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS, anionic), cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC, cationic) and N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS, zwitterionic) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of spin label covalently bound to the single free thiol group of the protein. EPR spectra simulation allows to monitor the protein dynamics at the labeling site and to estimate the changes in standard Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy for transferring the nitroxide side chain from the more motionally restricted to the less restricted component. Whereas SDS and CTAC showed similar increases in the dynamics of the protein backbone for all measured concentrations, HPS presented a smaller effect at concentrations above 1.5mM. At 10mM of surfactants and 0.15 mM BSA, the standard Gibbs free energy change was consistent with protein backbone conformations more expanded and exposed to the solvent as compared to the native protein, but with a less pronounced effect for HPS. In the presence of the surfactants, the enthalpy change, related to the energy required to dissociate the nitroxide side chain from the protein, was greater, suggesting a lower water activity. The nitroxide side chain also detected a higher viscosity environment in the vicinity of the paramagnetic probe induced by the addition of the surfactants. The results suggest that the surfactant-BSA interaction, at higher surfactant concentration, is affected by the affinities of the surfactant to its own micelles and micelle-like aggregates. Complementary DLS data suggests that the temperature induced changes monitored by the nitroxide probe reflects local changes in the vicinity of the single thiol group of Cys-34 BSA residue.     

Manipulation of the adsorption of ionic surfactants onto hydrophilic silica using polyelectrolytes

This paper demonstrates the use of polyelectrolytes to modify and manipulate the adsorption of ionic surfactants onto the hydrophilic surface of silica. We have demonstrated that the cationic polyelectrolyte poly(dimethyl diallylammonium chloride), poly-dmdaac, modifies the adsorption of cationic and anionic surfactants to the hydrophilic surface of silica. A thin robust polymer layer is adsorbed from a dilute polymer/surfactant solution. The resulting surface layer is cationic and changes the relative affinity of the cationic surfactant hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide, C16TAB, and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, to adsorb. The adsorption of C16TAB is dramatically reduced. In contrast, strong adsorption of SDS was observed, in situations where SDS would normally have a low affinity for the surface of silica. We have further shown that subsequent adsorption of the anionic polyelectrolyte sodium poly(styrene sulfonate), Na-PSS, onto the poly-dmdaac coated surface results in a change back to an anionic surface and a further change in the relative affinities of the cationic and anionic surfactants for the surface. The relative amounts of C16TAB and SDS adsorption depend on the coverage of the polyelectrolyte, and these preliminary measurements show that this can be manipulated.     

Mixed Micellization of Dimeric (Gemini) Surfactants and Conventional Surfactants

The aqueous solutions of mixtures of various conventional surfactants and dimeric anionic and cationic surfactants have been investigated by electrical conductivity, spectrofluorometry, and time-resolved fluorescence quenching to determine the critical micelle concentrations and the micelle aggregation numbers in these mixtures. The following systems have been investigated: 12-2-12/DTAB, 12-2-12/C(12)E(6), 12-2-12/C(12)E(8), 12-3-12/C(12)E(8), Dim3/C(12)E(8), and Dim4/C(12)E(8) (12-2-12 and 12-3-12=dimethylene-1,2- and trimethylene-1,3-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium bromide), respectively; C(12)E(6) and C(12)E(8)=hexa- and octaethyleneglycol monododecylethers, respectively; Dim3 and Dim4=anionic dimeric surfactants of the disodium sulfonate type, Scheme 1; DTAB=dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). For the sake of comparison the conventional surfactant mixtures DTAB/C(12)E(8) and SDS/C(12)E(8) (SDS=sodium dodecylsulfate) have also been investigated (reference systems). Synergism in micelle formation (presence of a minimum in the cmc vs composition plot) has been observed for the Dim4/C(12)E(8) mixture but not for other dimeric surfactant/nonionic surfactant mixtures investigated. The aggregation numbers of the mixed reference systems DTAB/C(12)E(8) and SDS/C(12)E(8) vary monotonously with composition from the value of the aggregation number of the pure C(12)E(8) to that of the pure ionic component. In contrast, the aggregation number of the dimeric surfactant/C(12)E(8) mixtures goes through a minimum at a low value of the dimeric surfactant mole fraction. This minimum does not appear to be correlated to the existence of synergism in micelle formation. The initial decrease of the aggregation number of the nonionic surfactant upon addition of ionic surfactant, up to a mole fraction of ionic surfactant of about 0.2 (in equivalent per total equivalent), depends little on the nature the surfactant, whether conventional or dimeric. The results also show that the microviscosity of the systems containing dimeric surfactants is larger than that of the reference systems. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.