Celebration of Scholars
Organic Synthesis of O-acylated Amino Acid Surfactants to Examine Antimicrobial Properties
Name:
Aileen Szczepanski
Major: Biology
Hometown: Kenosha
Faculty Sponsor: David Brownholland
Other Sponsors: Tobiason, Deborah
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE
Abstract
Surfactants are surface-active materials with numerous applications, including: detergents and soaps, cosmetics, fabric softeners, pharmaceutical creams and ointments, and plasticizers. Amino acid-surfactants have generated interest as antibacterial agents, chiral resolution, chelating agents, and as switchable surfactants. These surfactants are of particular interest because they are largely biodegradable, due to a relatively labile ester or amide bond. We describe the synthesis of O-acylated amino acid surfactants with hydrophobic ω-alkenyl chains. Amino acids, such as Leucine and Phenylalanine, were acylated with ω-undecylenyl alcohol using a Fischer esterification reaction. The amino acid surfactants were then purified using silica-gel chromatography, as well as an amine-selective resin. Future work will include the evaluation of the amino acid surfactants’ antimicrobial activity by performing a Kirby-Bauer Assay, using Mueller-Hinton Agar (MHA) plates to observe disc diffusion rates based on the susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.Submit date: March 18, 2018, 12:10 a.m.