António R. T. Calado

Gemini surfactant-protein interactions: effect of pH, temperature, and surfactant stereochemistry.

The interactions between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and gemini surfactants derived from cystine have been investigated and were compared with the conventional single-chain surfactant derived from cysteine. The influence of the stereochemistry of the gemini surfactant on its behavior toward BSA was also investigated, as well as the effects of pH and temperature. Electrical conductivity and surface tension measurements were used to obtain important system parameters such as critical aggregation concentration (cac), polymer saturation point (psp), degree of ionization (alpha), and the amount of surfactant binding to protein (M). Stereochemistry was found to influence the surface properties of the surfactants studied and their interaction with BSA but not their micellar properties in solution.

Dimeric and monomeric surfactants derived from sulfur-containing amino acids

Anionic urea-based dimeric (gemini) surfactants derived from the amino acids L-cystine, D-cystine and DL-cystine, as well as monomeric surfactants derived from L-cysteine, L-methionine and L-cysteic acid were synthesized and their solution properties characterized by electrical conductivity, equilibrium surface tension, and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The geminis studied showed the lowest critical micelle concentration (cmc) values, however the monomeric cysteine counterpart exhibited superior efficiency in lowering surface tension, an unusual finding that can be attributed to the free sulfhydryl group. Chirality seems to play a role in the surface active properties of the gemini surfactants, but not on micelle formation. All the surfactants studied showed a higher preference for adsorption at the air/water interface rather than to form micelles, a fact that may be related to the urea moiety. The polarity of the interfacial region, measured with the solvatochromic probe E(T)(30) (Reichardts betaine dye), was similar to sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) micelles.

Mixed micelle formation between amino acid-based surfactants and phospholipids

The mixed micelle formation in aqueous solutions between an anionic gemini surfactant derived from the amino acid cystine (C(8)Cys)(2), and the phospholipids 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC, a micelle-forming phospholipid) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC, a vesicle-forming phospholipid) has been studied by conductivity and the results compared with the ones obtained for the mixed systems with the single-chain surfactant derived from cysteine, C(8)Cys. Phospholipid-surfactant interactions were found to be synergistic in nature and dependent on the type of phospholipid and on surfactant hydrophobicity. Regular solution theory was used to analyse the gemini surfactant-DHPC binary mixtures and the interaction parameter, β(12), has been evaluated, as well as mixed micelle composition. The results have been interpreted in terms of the interplay between reduction of the electrostatic repulsions among the ionic head groups of the surfactants and steric hindrances arising from incorporation of the zwitterionic phospholipids in the mixed micelles.

α-Rhamnosidase and β-glucosidase expressed by naringinase immobilized on new ionic liquid sol–gel matrices: Activity and stability studies

Novel ionic liquid (IL) sol-gel materials development, for enzyme immobilization, was the goal of this work. The deglycosylation of natural glycosides were performed with α-l-rhamnosidase and β-d-glucosidase activities expressed by naringinase. To attain that goal ILs with different structures were incorporated in TMOS/Glycerol sol-gel matrices and used on naringinase immobilization. The most striking feature of ILs incorporation on TMOS/Glycerol matrices was the positive impact on the enzyme activity and stability, which were evaluated in fifty consecutive runs. The efficiency of α-rhamnosidase expressed by naringinase TMOS/Glycerol@ILs matrices increased with cation hydrophobicity as follows: [OMIM]>[BMIM]>[EMIM]>[C(2)OHMIM]>[BIM] and [OMIM]≈[E(2)-MPy]≫[E(3)-MPy]. Regarding the imidazolium family, the hydrophobic nature of the cation resulted in higher α-rhamnosidase efficiencies: [BMIM]BF(4)≫[C(2)OHMIM]BF(4)≫[BIM]BF(4). Small differences in the IL cation structure resulted in important differences in the enzyme activity and stability, namely [E(3)-MPy] and [E(2)-MPy] allowed an impressive difference in the α-rhamnosidase activity and stability of almost 150%. The hydrophobic nature of the anion influenced positively α-rhamnosidase activity and stability. In the BMIM series the more hydrophobic anions (PF(6)(-), BF(4)(-) and Tf(2)N(-)) led to higher activities than TFA. SEM analysis showed that the matrices are shaped lens with a film structure which varies within the lens, depending on the presence and the nature of the IL. The kinetics parameters, using naringin and prunin as substrates, were evaluated with free and naringinase encapsulated, respectively on TMOS/Glycerol@[OMIM][Tf(2)N] and TMOS/Glycerol@[C(2)OHMIM][PF(6)] and on TMOS/Glycerol. An improved stability and efficiency of α-l-rhamnosidase and β-glucosidase expressed by encapsulated naringinase on TMOS/Glycerol@[OMIM][Tf(2)N] and TMOS/Glycerol@[C(2)OHMIM][PF(6)] were achieved. In addition to these advantageous, with ILs as sol-gel templates, environmental friendly processes can be implemented.

In vitro release studies of methylmethacrylate liberation from acrylic cement powder

Bone cement or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is commonly used for anchoring cemented prosthesis to the bone. Cytotoxic effect of culture media exposed to PMMA powder may be related with long term problems associated with acrylic cement application, being the monomer (methylmethacrylate) one of the cements component partly responsible for the cytotoxic effect. The present work reports the studies of monomer release from acrylic bone cement powder under different experimental conditions: setting time of PMMA (in solution and air) and different culture media composition. High-performance liquid chromatography was used for the determination of residual monomer. Mathematical models were applied to experimental dissolution data revealing that monomer release is lightly affected by the studied variables. The monomer release seems to be a surface phenomena, suggesting that the possible actions of monomer will mainly be due to the initial loss of non polymerized monomer rather than to further depolymerization of the already polymerized cement.

Shape effects in the partial molar volume of tetraethylphosphonium and ammonium iodides in six nonaqueous solvents

AbstractDensities of dilute solutions of the electrolytes tetraethylphosphonium iodide and tetraethylammonium iodide in the nonaqueous solvents methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 1-butanol, acetonitrile, and 2-propanone were measured at 25°C. Using published values for the Debye-Hückel limiting slopes AV, apparent molar volume data were fitted to the Pitzer equation yielding infinite-dilution partial molar volumes

New urea-based surfactants derived from alpha,omega-amino acids.

\overline V _{\text{i}}^\infty

The influence of vacuum mixing on methylmethacrylate liberation from acrylic cement powder

and deviation parameters BV. It is found that the variation in the van der Waals volume of the cationic central atoms is about one half the experimental volume change in 2-propanone solutions, but twice that value in the other five solvents. This finding is interpreted in terms of openness of solute structure and solvent penetration. Parameter BV for each salt is shown to be solvent dependent. An interesting approximate linear variation between AV and BV parameters is suggested by the data. This empirical relationship would entail correlation of short- and long-range interionic interactions in solution.