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, chelating agents, as switchable surfactants, and for chiral resolution. 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. 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 catch-and-release resin. Future work will include the evaluation of the amino acid surfactants’ antimicrobial activity by performing a Kirby-Bauer Assay, using Muller Hilton Agar (MHA) plates to observe disc diffusion rates based on the susceptibility of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.