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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/boms/043/0172

Cationic surfactant; worm-like micelles; hydrogels; viscoelasticity; xerogels; supramolecular interactions.

Design of amphiphiles to develop robust self-assembled soft nanomaterials, such as micelles and hydrogels is an interesting subject. A series of cationic amphiphilic compounds were synthesized comprising 1-ethoxy (3-pentadecyl)benzene as the hydrophobic tail. The second carbon of ethoxy was linked to quaternary head groups (trimethyl ammonium bromide (PEA), triethyl ammonium bromide (PETE), pyridinium bromide (PEPy), N-methyl morpholino bromide (PENM), N-methyl piperidine bromide (PENP)). Inclusion of benzene ring leads to a significant decrease in critical micellar concentration (CMC) as compared to other cationic surfactants, such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Interestingly, at higher concentration, these cationic amphiphiles were forming soft hydrogels with critical gelation concentration (CGC) from 3 to 10% (w/v). The small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of xerogel revealed the formation of self-assembled lamellar patterns of molecules. Further, the morphology of xerogels were also seen under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) which correlates with SAXS data. The SAXS and SEM data confirms the formation of worm-like micellar structures and entangle themselves to form a hydrogel. The cytotoxicity assay was done on HDFA, HeLa and HEK cell lines, haemolysis assay showed better haemocompatibility than CTAB. The synthesized surfactants exhibited up to 3-fold higher solubilization capability against hydrophobic molecules than CTAB.

OMPRAKASH SUNNAPU^{1 2} PRIUSHA RAVIPATI¹ PREETHEM SRINATH¹ SANJEEB KALITA¹ PRATIKSHA P BHAT¹ S R HARSHITHA¹ KARUPPANNAN SEKAR² PRAVEEN KUMAR VEMULA¹ MANOHAR MAHATO¹

1. Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), GKVK Campus, Bengaluru 560065, India
2. Department of Chemistry, Anna University, University College of Engineering, Dindigul 624622, India

Published

29 July 2020

Manuscript received

19 August 2019

Accepted

20 December 2019

Final version published online

29 July 2020