Synthesis and Properties of Novel Phenylenediamine Gemini Surfactants

In the present work, a two-step method was adopted to synthesize a series of novel Gemini surfactants using N,N-dimethylalkyl amines (alkyl length = C₁₂, C₁₆ and C₁₈), epichlorohydrin, and n-phenyllenediamine as starting materials. The products were characterized using mass spectroscopy (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR). Systematic experiments were conducted to evaluate their surface activity, foaming properties, and antibacterial performance. Results showed the critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of the C₁₂-based, C₁₆-based, and C₁₈-based phenylenediamine surfactants were 3.295 × 10⁻³, 2.532 × 10⁻⁴, and 3.140 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ at 298 K, respectively, with corresponding surface tension (γ_cmc) values of 28.24, 31.95, and 35.06 mN m⁻¹ under the same conditions. The Gemini surfactants showed not only good surface activity and foaming properties, but also demonstrated good antimicrobial performance against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi.     

Preparation,Characterization and Properties of Novel Cationic Gemini Surfactants with Rigid Amido Spacer Groups

A series of novel cationic gemini surfactants with rigid amido groups inserted as the spacers, named C ₁₂ ‐PPDA‐C ₁₂ , C ₁₄ ‐PPDA‐C ₁₄ and C ₁₆ ‐PPDA‐C ₁₆ , were synthesized by a two‐step reaction with dimethyl terephthalate, N,N‐dimethyl propylene diamine and alkyl bromide as raw materials. The chemical structures of the prepared compounds were confirmed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR and element analysis. Surface activity properties of the synthesized compounds were investigated by surface tension, electrical conductivity and fluorescence. Increasing the number of carbon atoms in the hydrophobic alkyl chain, decreased the critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC and the minimum surface area. Other relevant properties including foaming ability and emulsion stability were investigated. The results indicated that the synthesized gemini surfactants possess good surface properties, emulsifying properties and steady foam properties.     

Preparation,Surface-Active Properties and Antimicrobial Activities of Bis(Ester Quaternary Ammonium) Salts

New cationic surfactants, bis-quaternary ammonium salts, were prepared from N,N-dimethylaminoalkyl esters of saturated fatty acids and products of the reactions of epichlorohydrin with primary amines: pentyl-, hexyl- and octylamine. The bis (ester–ammonium) salts obtained were examined in respect to their surface-active properties: critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (γ_CMC), and adsorption efficiency (pC₂₀). All these surfactants showed good water solubility and low critical micelle concentrations of more than two orders of magnitude lower than these of corresponding mono-alkylammonium salts. They also showed good wetting capability, but worse foaming properties. All the surfactants tested were nontoxic to gram-negative bacteria, but some of them inhibited the growth of gram-positive bacteria and yeast.

Surface activities,biodegradability and antimicrobial properties of glucosamine derivatives containing alkyl chains

Three series of D-glucosamine derivatives containing an alkyl chain with 8 to 14 atoms, methyl 2-acylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides,n-alkyl 2-acetylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides andn-alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides, were synthesized, and their surface properties (such as surface tension, critical micelle concentration (CMC), dynamic surface tension and foaming properties), biodegradability and antimicrobial activities were evaluated.n-Alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides containing C8 to C12 carbon chains showed surface activities, a CMC and excellent foaming properties. The α-anomers showed a slightly lower CMC than the β-anomers, indicating less hydrophilicity of the α-anomers. On the other hand, glucosamine derivatives containing amide groups showed poor surface activities in water due to their lower solubilities in water. All glucosamine derivatives containing alkyl chains were biodegraded as well as conventional ethoxylated nonionics by activated sludge from the municipal sewage treatment plant. Methyl 2-acylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides andn-alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides showed a broader spectrum of antimicrobial activity than the correspondingn-alkyl glucopyranosides. Among them the C12 derivatives showed the best results.     

Surface activities,biodegradability and antimicrobial properties of n-alkyl glucosides,mannosides and galactosides

n-Alkyl α-and β-glucopyranosides, α-D-mannopyranosides and β-D-galactopyranosides with alkyl chains having from 8 to 12 carbon atoms were synthesized and their surface properties-such as static surface tension (γ), critical micelle concentration (CMC), occupation area of molecule, dynamic surface tension and foaming properties, biodegradability and antimicrobial activities—were evaluated. Alkyl glycosides containing C8 to C12 carbon chains showed surface activities and critical micelle concentrations. D-Glucoside, D-mannoside and D-galactoside having the same alkyl chain showed similar surface tension lowering at CMC (γ_CMC) and occupation area of the molecule at the surface. Among the alkyl glucosides, α-anomers were less hydrophilic than β-anomers. All alkyl glycosides tested in this study were readily biodegraded by activated sludge of a municipal sewage plant compared to those of ethoxylated nonionic alcohols. The difference of the hydrophilic glycopyranoside group in biodegradability was not seen clearly. n-Alkyl glycosides containing C8 to C12 alkyl chains showed a broad spectrum of increasing antimicrobial activity. n-Dodecyl α-D-mannopyranoside was the most effective, the order of antimicrobial activity being mannopyranoside > glucopyranoside > galactopyranoside group. Members of this class of compounds exhibit the physicochemical and biological properties needed both for a wide range of applications and for environmental acceptance.     

N-acyl-L-leucines of biologically active uncommon fatty acids: Synthesis and antibacterial activity

The effect of structural variation in the fatty acid chain on the antibacterial activity ofN-acyl-L-leucines was investigated. PureN-acyl leucines of some structurally different and biologically active uncommon fatty acids were synthesized for the first time and tested for antimicrobial activity.N-Stearoyl-,N-oleoyl- andN-ricinoleoyl leucines were also evaluated for comparison. TheN-acyl leucines exhibited greater activity in acid form than the methyl ester form and against gram positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria. The presence of a cyclopropane or a hydroxy group or unsaturation in the acyl chain increased the antibacterial activity. Shifting the hydroxyl group toward the amide linkage resulted in a diminished effect on the antibacterial activity.     

Preparation,surface-active properties,and antimicrobial activities of bis-quaternary ammonium salts from amines and epichlorohydrin

A series of new cationic surfactants, bis-quaternary ammonium salts, were prepared from tert-alkylamine and a product of the reaction of epichlorohydrin with decyl- and dodecylamine, and their surface-active properties were measured. Specifically, the critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (γ_CMC), surface excess concentration (Γ), area per molecule at the interface (A), and standard free energies of adsorption (ΔG _ads ^o) and of micellization (ΔG _mic ^o) were determined. All these surfactants showed good water solubility and low CMC, more than one order of magnitude lower than those of corresponding mono-alkylammonium salts. They also showed good foaming properties but worse wetting capabilities. Many of these compounds had antimicrobial activities against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and yeast (Candida albicans), but they were not active against molds.     

Synthesis,Surface-Active Properties,and Antimicrobial Activities of New Neutral and Cationic Trimeric Surfactants

Neutral and cationic series of new trimeric β-hydroxy amino or ammonium surfactants were synthesized via a two-step process involving the Williamson etherification and regioselective oxirane ring opening with primary and tertiary amines, which afforded good to excellent yields. The synthesized compounds were obtained in high purity by a simple purification procedure on column chromatography. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (γ _CMC), surface excess concentration (Γ), and area per molecule at the interface (A) were determined and values indicate that the cationic series is characterized by good surface-active and self-aggregation properties. The antimicrobial activities are reported for the first time against representative bacteria and fungi for trimeric compounds. The antimicrobial potency was found to be dependent on the target microorganism (Gram-positive bacteria > fungi > Gram-negative bacteria), as well as both the neutral or ionic nature (cationic > neutral) and alkyl chain length (tri-C₁₂ > tri-C₁₈ > tri-C₈) of the compounds. The tri-C₈ and tri-C₁₈ compounds were found to be almost inactive and the tri-C₁₂ compounds, the most potent antimicrobial surface-active agents from the synthesized series. The trimeric C₁₂ cationic compound was found to be comparable to benzalkonium chloride against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi, in vitro. The antimicrobial effectiveness of this new compound and the facile two-step procedure for synthesizing it with an excellent overall yield (92%) provide a cost effective trimeric gemini surfactant.

Synthesis and Properties of Lipoamino Acid–Fatty Acid Mixtures: Influence of the Amphiphilic Structure

The acylation of amino acids by acid chlorides with from 8 to 12 carbon atoms in alkaline aqueous medium following Schotten–Baumann reaction results in sodium salts of a N ^α-acylamino acid and fatty acid mixture. The latter are present in a proportion from 40 to 60%. These compositions represent mixtures of amphiphilic anionic surfactants. Together they contribute to the properties of the formulation. Measurements of the surface-active properties of these formulations, such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC (ST), foaming capacity (FC) and foaming stability (FS), show that surfactant mixtures with the longest chain have the most desirable properties. They are comparable to commercial petroleum-based surfactants. Thus, the CMC, ST and CM values of the formulation obtained starting from leucine and dodecanoyl chloride (310 mg/l, 30.1 mN/m and 200%, respectively) are similar to, and even better than, sodium dodecylsulfate (290 mg/l, 39.1 mN/m and 230%, respectively).     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Surfactants: Combination Products of Fatty Acids,Hydroxycarboxylic Acids and Alcohols

The reaction of hydroxycarboxylic acids, such as citric, malic and tartaric species with an excess of fatty acid chlorides produces the corresponding O-acylated hydroxycarboxylic anhydrides in one step and in a near quantitative yield. These molecules are excellent electrophiles which react readily with a variety of nucleophiles including alcohols, diols and polyols. Their reaction with triethylene glycol and triethylene glycol monomethyl ether leads to two series of novel anionic surfactants, which are unsymmetrical gemini surfactants. The determination of their properties (CMC, foaming, HLB) revealed that these molecules are—depending on the chain length of the fatty acid—excellent emulsifiers, and that they also display interesting antimicrobial activity. These novel functional surfactants are of interest for applications in food and personal care products and for the formulation of pharmaceuticals.     

Synthesis and properties of Nα-lauroyl-L-arginine dipeptides from collagen-lauroyl-L-arginine dipeptides from collagen

In order to obtain protein-based amphoteric surfactants with antimicrobial properties, N ^α -lauroyl arginine dipeptides have been prepared by condensation between N ^α -lauroyl arginine and amino acids which come from a collagen hydrolysate. Some surfactant properties and the minimum inhibitory concentration against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria have been evaluated. All types of compounds presented a surfactant-like behavior. Furthermore, the compounds described in this paper may be considered as mild preservative or protective substances.     

Lipopeptidic surfactants. II. Acidic and basic Nα-lauroyl-L-arginine dipeptides from pure amino acids

In this paper, the second part of a systematic study whose aim deals with the influence of the terminal amino acid side chain on the properties of Nα-lauroyl arginyl dipeptides is reported. Nα-lauroyl arginyl dipeptides that contain an acidic amino acid (glutamic acid) or a basic amino acid (lysine) as terminal amino acid have been prepared by peptide synthesis methods. These compounds have been synthesized as methyl esters (cationic surfactants) and free α-carboxylic acids (amphoteric surfactants), and their fundamental surfactant properties and antimicrobial activity have been evaluated. The properties of these compounds have been compared to the properties of the cationic monomer derivative methyl ester of Nα-lauroyl arginine and of the amphoteric monomer derivative Nα-lauroyl arginine reported earlier. The compounds are soluble in water and show surface activity, although in the case of the amphoteric Nα-lauroyl arginyl dipeptide containing glutamic acid these two properties depend on the solution pH. The cationic Nα-lauroyl arginyl dipeptides are antimicrobial agents. However, only the amphoteric compound containing lysine may be considered antimicrobial.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Cationic Surfactants Based on N‐Hexamethylenetetramine as Active Microfouling Agents

Four cationic surfactants of quaternary hexammonium silane chloride based on hexamethylenetetramine and alkyl chloride were synthesized. The chemical structures of the prepared cationic surfactants were elucidated using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry analysis. The surface and thermodynamic properties of the prepared surfactants were also studied. The performance of these cationic surfactants as microfouling agents against two strains of Gram‐negative bacteria, namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, and two strains of Gram‐positive bacteria, namely, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, were evaluated as antimicrobial agents. The results showed that the maximum antimicrobial activity was detected for N‐hexamethylenetetramine‐N‐ethyl silane ammonium trichloride (Ah). The maximum and minimum antimicrobial activities were 73 and 60 % against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, at a concentration of 5 mg/l, pH 7, and 37 °C.     

Surface-Active Properties and Antimicrobial Study of Conventional Cationic and Synthesized Symmetrical Gemini Surfactants

Symmetrical gemini surfactants of cationic series α,ω-alkanediyl bis (dimethyl ammonium bromide) commonly referred as “m–s–m” have been synthesized. Spectral analysis was performed to confirm compound structures and purity. Conductivity and surface tension measurements provide better understanding of the micellization process. Their self-assembly behavior in aqueous solution is also discussed in detail. The antimicrobial efficacy was measured by bacterial and fungal growth inhibition expressed as minimal inhibitory concentration values against five strains of a representative group of microorganisms viz. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella paratyphi B and Aspergillus niger. All of the synthesized surfactants showed antimicrobial activity against them, but at different levels depending on their structures. The surfactants possessing longer alkyl chains (more hydrophobic environment) demonstrated better antimicrobial functionality. The antimicrobial potency was found to be dependent on the representative target microorganism (Gram-positive bacteria > fungi > Gram-negative bacteria), as well as on the ionic nature of the surfactant (cationic), alkyl chain length (m = 12, 16) and spacer length (s = 2, 4, 6) of the synthesized compounds. Gemini surfactants such as 12-2-12 and 12-4-12 were found to be weakly active whereas 16-2-16 and 16-4-16 compounds proved to be the most potent antimicrobial surface-active agents among the synthesized gemini homologues.     

The Effects of Amide Bonds and Aromatic Rings on the Surface Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Cationic Surfactants

The cationic surfactants containing aromatic rings and amide bonds, N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl-2-pyrimidinylcarbamoylmethyl ammonium chloride ( a ), N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl-2-thiazolylcarbamoylmethyl ammonium chloride ( b ), and N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl-phenylcarbamoylmethyl ammonium chloride ( c ), were synthesized and characterized. The surface tension and conductivity values were employed to investigate the absorption and micellization behavior of the three cationic surfactants. The results showed that the synthesized surfactants have shown a low critical micelle concentration (CMC) and a high adsorption efficiency (pC₂₀) compared with the traditional cationic surfactant of N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl-N-benzyl ammonium chloride ( BAC-12 ). The aromatic rings of the a , b , and c molecular structures were analyzed using the ¹H NMR spectra for electrostatic repulsion effects between hydrophilic headgroups. The size distribution of the micelles was derived using dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. In addition, the foaming ability of a , b , c , and BAC-12 was investigated and the antimicrobial activity of a , b , c , and BAC-12 against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis was examined. The effects of amide bonds and aromatic rings on the surface properties and antimicrobial activity of a , b , and c were analyzed and compared with BAC-12 of the same alkyl chain length. The synthesized surfactants exhibited a high surface ability and better antibacterial activity compared with BAC-12 .     

Creating new water-soluble Iso- and n-fatty acid arginate hydrochloride with antimicrobial properties

Typically, short- and long-chain lipids from oils exhibit different antimicrobial activities and therefore have been used in agriculture and aquaculture, biomedical therapeutic and antibacterial fields. However, these fatty acids have limitations in terms of bioactive efficacy, thermostability and aqueous solubility. In this study, water-soluble iso-fatty acid arginate hydrochloride derivatives with antimicrobial properties were produced by introducing branched (iso-) chain and other linear- (n-) chain fatty acids to the “arginine” amino acid molecule. The two-step synthetic route was straightforward and provided an efficient 88% and 76% product yields for ethyl n-oleoyl arginate hydrochloride and ethyl iso-oleoyl arginate hydrochloride, respectively. ATR-FT-IR, NMR, and LC-MS-Q-TOF techniques were used to thoroughly characterize and confirm the products. These arginate products had strong antimicrobial activities against Listeria innucua, a Gram-positive bacterium with minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations ranging from 1.8 µg mL⁻¹ to 29.1 µg mL⁻¹. Therefore, the study demonstrated the development of a novel class of antimicrobial compounds from iso-fatty acids and arginates.     

Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial activity of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan and application as pulp-cap

Quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCMC) was prepared from which carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) was prepared from chitosan first, then N-quaternary ammonium group was introduced by the reaction of CMC with 2, 3-epoxypropyl trimethylammonium. The structures of the derivatives were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, ¹³C NMR, ¹H NMR and gel permeation chromatography. In vitro antimicrobial activities of QCMC were evaluated against Escherichia coli, which is a Gram-negative bacterium, and Staphylococcus aureus, which is a Gram-positive bacterium. In compared with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and quarternary chitosan (QC) of the same degree of substitusion (DS), we found that QCMC has stronger antimicrobial activity. Then we went deep into study of the relationship between their structure and antimicrobial activity, found that the DS of CMC do little effect to their antimicrobial activity, but as the increase of their DS of quaternization or the decrease of their molecular weight, the antimicrobial activity of QCMC become stronger. QCMC was complexed with calcium hydroxide as pulp-cap. Animal experiment results indicated that QCMC can strongly induce reparative dentine formation and showed a better ability in dentin inducing compared with calcium hydroxide.     

Phenol-Soluble-Modulin-Inspired Amphipathic Peptides Have Bactericidal Activity against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Phenol-soluble modulins (PSMs) are a large family of cytolytic peptide toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus. Based on their amino acid sequences, we have constructed a small library of cationic isoleucine-rich peptides for antimicrobial evaluation. Relative to the parent PSMs, peptide zp3 (GIIAGIIIKIKK-NH₂) was found to possess greatly improved physicochemical properties (soluble in water) and antibacterial activity (MIC=8 μm for E. coli, B. subtilis, and C. freundii) while maintaining low hemolytic activity (<5 % at 256 μm ) and cytotoxicity (HEK293 cells IC₅₀>80 μm ). We reasoned that the selective activity of zp3 toward bacterial cells is due to its amphiphilic nature and positive net charge. Moreover, it is difficult for bacteria to develop resistance against zp3 . Through microscopic studies of E. coli, we demonstrated that zp3 can penetrate the bacterial membrane, thereby causing leakage of the bacterial cytoplasm. Our findings present a promising antimicrobial peptide lead, which has great potential for further chemical modification.     

Antimicrobial lipids: Natural and synthetic fatty acids and monoglycerides

Over 40 natural or synthetic lipophilic compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity. Gram (+) bacteria and yeasts but not Gram (−) bacteria were affected by these agents. Epimino and selena fatty acids are more active than their corresponding straight chain unsubstituted fatty acids. The position of selenium influenced the antimicrobial activity of the fatty acid. The presence and position of a double or triple bond, usually an important factor in long chain fatty acids (>C₁₄) had little or no effect in C₁₁ fatty acids. Optimum antimicrobial activity was found for fatty acids and their corresponding monoglycerides when the chain length was C₁₂. The dilaurin derivative was not active.     

Chemo‐enzymatic synthesis of lipophilic ferulates and their evaluation for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

An efficient chemo‐enzymatic synthesis of ferulic acid‐based structured lipids mimicking triacylglycerol with a pendant phenolic moiety was carried out for the first time. Initially, ferulic acid was reduced to coniferyl alcohol, followed by its esterification with fatty acids. The key step in the synthesis was dihydroxylation of the olefinic side chain of coniferyl ester, which was eventually esterified with fatty acids to generate phenolic structured lipids. Two such compounds of varying fatty acid chain lengths were synthesized in good yield. Structural confirmation of both compounds is based on IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and MS techniques. The synthesized compounds were tested for in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Both compounds exhibited moderate to good antioxidant activity. The phenolic structured lipid with only shorter‐chain fatty acids showed antibacterial activity. Both compounds did not show any antifungal activity.