Nucleation of Surfactant–Alkane Mixed Solid Monolayer and Bilayer Domains at the Air–Water Interface

We investigated the wetting transitions of tetradecane and hexadecane droplets in dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C14TAB), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C16TAB) aqueous solutions. By varying the surfactant concentration, the formation of mixed monolayers of a surfactant and an alkane was observed at the air–water interface. Depending on the combination of surfactant and alkane, these wetting monolayers underwent another thermal phase transition upon cooling either to a frozen mixed monolayer (S1) or a bilayer structure composed of a solid monolayer of a pure alkane rested on a liquid-like mixed monolayer (S2). Based on the phase diagrams determined by phase modulation ellipsometry, the difference in the morphology of the nucleated S1 and S2 phase domains was also investigated using Brewster angle microscopy. Domains of the S1 phase were relatively small and highly branched, whereas those of the S2 phase were large and circular. The difference in domain morphology was explained by the competition of the domain line tension and electrostatic dipole interactions between surfactant molecules in the domains.

Physico-chemical and spectroscopic investigation of flavonoid dispersed C n TAB micelles

In this study, kaempferol (0.2 m/mmol kg −1 ) dispersed cationic surfactant micelles were prepared as a function of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (C n TAB) hydrophobicity (C = 12 to C = 16). The dispersion study of kaempferol in different C n TAB, i.e. dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C = 12), tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C = 14) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C = 16), was conducted with the physico-chemical properties of density, sound velocity, viscosity, surface tension, isentropic compressibility, acoustic impedance, surface excess concentration and area occupied per molecule and thermodynamic parameters Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and activation energy measured at 298.15 K. These properties were measured with varying concentration of C n TAB from 0.0260 to 0.0305 mol kg −1 in a 10% (w/w) aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide solvent system. The variations in these measured properties have been used to infer the kaempferol dispersion stability via hydrophobic–hydrophilic, hydrophilic–hydrophilic, van der Waals, hydrogen bonding and other non-covalent interactions.

Impacts of polyols and temperature on the micellization, interaction and thermodynamics behavior of the mixture of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and polyvinyl alcohol

Herein, the aggregation manner of the mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) was performed in polyols (glucose, maltose and galactose) media over 300.55–320.55 K temperatures range with 5 K interval through conductivity measurement method. The micelle formation of TTAB + PVA mixture was identified by the assessment of critical micelle concentration (CMC) from the plots of specific conductivity (κ) versus TTAB concentration. The degree of micelle ionization (α), the extent of bound counter ions (β) as well as thermodynamic properties ( Δ G m 0 ${\Delta}{G}_{m}^{0}$ , Δ H m 0 ${\Delta}{H}_{m}^{0}$ and Δ S m 0 ${\Delta}{S}_{m}^{0}$ ) of TTAB + PVA systems have been estimated. The CMC values reveal that the micelle formation of TTAB + PVA mixture experience an enhancement in the manifestation of polyols. The values of free energy of micellization ( Δ G m 0 ${\Delta}{G}_{m}^{0}$ ) are negative for the TTAB + PVA system in aqueous polyols media, suggesting a spontaneous aggregation phenomenon. The Δ H m 0 ${\Delta}{H}_{m}^{0}$ and Δ S m 0 ${\Delta}{S}_{m}^{0}$ values of TTAB + PVA systems direct that the PVA molecule interacts with TTAB through the exothermic, ion-dipole, and hydrophobic interactions. The thermodynamic properties of transfer were also determined for the move of TTAB + PVA mixture from H2O to water + polyols mixed solvents. The values of compensation temperature (T c) and intrinsic enthalpy gain ( Δ H m 0 , ∗ ${\Delta}{H}_{m}^{0,\ast }$ ) were evaluated and discussed for the studied system.

Recovery of Mycobacteria from Heavily Contaminated Environmental Matrices

For epidemiology studies, a decontamination method using a solution containing 4.0% NaOH and 0.5% tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TDAB) represents a relatively simple and universal procedure for processing heavily microbially contaminated matrices together with increase of mycobacteria yield and elimination of gross contamination. A contamination rate only averaging 7.3% (2.4% in Cluster S; 6.9%% in Cluster R and 12.6%% in Cluster E) was found in 787 examined environmental samples. Mycobacteria were cultured from 28.5% of 274 soil and water sediments samples (Cluster S), 60.2% of 251 samples of raw and processed peat and other horticultural substrates (Cluster R), and 29.4% of 262 faecal samples along with other samples of animal origin (Cluster E). A total of 38 species of slow and rapidly growing mycobacteria were isolated. M. avium ssp. hominissuis, M. fortuitum, and M. malmoense were the species most often isolated. The parameters for the quantitative detection of mycobacteria by PCR can be significantly refined by treating the sample suspension before DNA isolation with PMA (propidium monoazide) solution. This effectively eliminates DNA residue from both dead mycobacterial cells and potentially interfering DNA segments present from other microbial flora. In terms of human exposure risk assessment, the potential exposure to live non-tuberculous mycobacteria can be more accurately determined.

Evaluation of avian adenovirus inactivation methods used in the production of influenza vaccines

Inactivation of influenza virus and other potential contaminants like avian adenoviruses coming from embryonated chicken eggs is a critical step in the production of inactivated influenza vaccines. Inactivation must lead to a guaranteed reduction in contaminant titers by at least 4 lg (PFU)/ml. The aim of this study was to identify an optimum cell line for adenovirus propagation and to estimate a reduction in adenovirus titers in vaccine intermediates after inactivation. In a series of experiments, we identified the optimum conditions and the optimum cell line for the propagation of avian adenovirus (strains CELO and Fontes). The most commonly used inactivation methods were analyzed, including inactivation by β-propiolactone and UV light. Viral titers were measured by plaque assays. After 10 h of inactivation with β-propiolactone, CELO titers fell by 4.12 ± 0.06 lg, whereas Fontes titers, by 4.20 ± 0.19 lg, suggesting that β-propiolactone is an effective inactivating agent. Exposure to UV light led to a reduction in CELO titers by 4.69 ± 0.89 lg and a reduction in Fontes titers by 4.44 ± 1.06 lg after 5 min. N-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside added at the splitting step reduced CELO titers by 0.93 ± 0.15 lg and Fontes titers by 1.04 ± 0.12 lg, whereas tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide led to a reduction in CELO and Fontes titers by 1.18 ± 0.17 lg and 1.12 ± 0.38 lg, respectively.

Solid-state synthesis and physico-chemical characterization of modified smectites using natural clays from Burkina Faso

Solid-state intercalation was applied to prepare organo-smectites using cationic surfactants and natural clays containing smectite at various surfactant/smectite ratios. The surfactants enter the interlayers of smectites causing a swelling of the clays. The used clays were collected in Siétougou and Diabari villages located in the eastern part of Burkina Faso. The solid-state intercalation was successful for all four surfactants applied, n-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, (n-C12H25(CH3)3NBr), n-tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, (n-C14H29(CH3)3NBr), n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (n-C16H33(CH3)3NBr) and di-n-dodecyldimethyl­ammonium bromide ((n-C12H25)2(CH3)2NBr) at different levels of the cation exchange capacity (CEC). The synthesized organo-smectites were characterized regarding relative density, structural and textural properties. XRPD data showed a systematic increase of the basal spacing of the unit cell of the smectite up to >38 Å at 2.0-CEC loading of the surfactant. This increase indicates that the surfactants penetrated into the smectite interlayers with the surfactants being arranged parallel to the layers at low concentrations and almost perpendicular at high ones. FTIR spectra of the organo-smectites showed a decrease in the intensities of the water bands at around 1630 cm-1 and 3400 cm-1, and new specific bands close to 2920 cm-1 and 2850 cm-1 were assigned to the asymmetric and symmetric stretching of CH2 groups of the surfactants, respectively. KEY WORDS: Smectite, Organo-smectite, Surfactant, Intercalation Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(1), 43-59. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i1.4

Synthesis of 1,5-Disubstituted Tetrazoles in Aqueous Micelles at Room Temperature

The ongoing study is a Ugi-azide four-component reaction for the synthesis of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole(1,5-DST), which involves an aldehyde, different amines, isocyanides, and as azide’s source the Trimethylsilylazide (TMSN3), in water as solvent using as catalyst the tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) with a load of (10% mole), which provides a hydrophobic micellar reaction site. This approach is a step toward a green chemistry reaction of 1,5 disubstituted tetrazole. A serie of 1, 5- disubstituted tetrazole was synthesized by engaging a large substrate scope, leading to yields between 43% and 56%, which are compared afterwards with those obtained with methanol as solvent. The results were confirmed by HRMS, IR, and 1D NMR experiments.