Gemini surfactants from natural amino acids

Lourdes Pérez; Aurora Pinazo; Ramon Pons; Mrosa Infante

doi:10.1016/j.cis.2013.10.020

Gemini surfactants from natural amino acids

Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2014 Mar:205:134-55. doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2013.10.020. Epub 2013 Oct 24.

Authors

Lourdes Pérez¹, Aurora Pinazo¹, Ramon Pons¹, Mrosa Infante²

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Química Avanzada de Cataluña, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08008 Barcelona, Spain.
² Instituto de Química Avanzada de Cataluña, CSIC, Jordi Girona 18-26, 08008 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: rosa.infante@iqac.csic.es.

PMID: 24238395
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2013.10.020

Abstract

In this review, we report the most important contributions in the structure, synthesis, physicochemical (surface adsorption, aggregation and phase behaviour) and biological properties (toxicity, antimicrobial activity and biodegradation) of Gemini natural amino acid-based surfactants, and some potential applications, with an emphasis on the use of these surfactants as non-viral delivery system agents. Gemini surfactants derived from basic (Arg, Lys), neutral (Ser, Ala, Sar), acid (Asp) and sulphur containing amino acids (Cys) as polar head groups, and Geminis with amino acids/peptides in the spacer chain are reviewed.

Keywords: Aggregation; Delivery systems; Gemini surfactants; Natural amino acid-based surfactants; Toxicity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Amino Acids / chemistry*
Biological Products / chemistry*
Geminin
Humans
Surface Properties
Surface-Active Agents / chemical synthesis
Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*

Substances

Amino Acids
Biological Products
Geminin
Surface-Active Agents