#32: NMR Investigation of Micelle Formation by Phenylalanine-Based Biosurfactants — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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#32: NMR Investigation of Micelle Formation by Phenylalanine-Based Biosurfactants

Name: Lauren Williams
Major: Chemistry
Hometown: Leawood, KS
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Abstract

The surfactants studied contained an alanine-phenylalaninate or glycine-phenylalalinate headgroup with a hydrocarbon chain. Our goal was to characterize how the properties of micelles formed by this surfactant changed with solution pH and the positively charged counterion bound to the negative micelle surface. The counterions L-lysine and 1,4- diaminobutane were studied. Our hypothesis was that solution pH affects the conditions under which the counterions are charged and thus their binding to the micelles.

Solutions containing one of the surfactants, ranging in concentration from 4mM to 25mM, and a positive counterion were prepared for NMR analysis in the pH range 7.5 to 11.5. Using the change in chemical shift over the range of surfactant concentration, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was also calculated. NMR experiments showed that the diamine counterions bound to the micelle below pH 10.0, but at higher pH, both counterions dissociated from the micelle surface. In addition, two-dimensional NMR spectra showed that the linear diamines bound parallel to the micelle surface with the amine functional groups interacting with multiple surfactant molecules.

Poster file