Journal
ADVANCES IN COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
Volume 299, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102581
Keywords
Gemini surfactants; Bioapplication; Drug delivery; Gene therapy; Biomaterial surface modification
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Gemini surfactants, composed of two cationic monomers linked together, have high surface activity and can decrease water surface tension due to their unique structure. They possess outstanding properties, such as antibacterial activity, unique aggregation behavior, and interaction with biomacromolecules. These properties can be tailored by adjusting the structure of the surfactant. Gemini surfactants demonstrate higher performance efficacy and lower toxicity compared to their monomeric counterparts. However, biocompatibility remains a limitation, leading researchers to develop alternative gemini surfactants based on amino acids and sugars.
Gemini surfactants consist of two cationic monomers of a surfactant linked together with a spacer. The specific structure of a cationic gemini surfactant is the reason for both its high surface activity and its ability to decrease the surface tension of water. The high surface activity and unique structure of gemini surfactants result in outstanding properties, including antibacterial and antifungal activity, anticorrosion properties, unique aggregation behaviour, the ability to form various structures reversibly in response to environmental conditions, and interactions with biomacromolecules such as DNA and proteins. These properties can be tailored by selecting the optimal structure of a gemini surfactant in terms of the nature and length of its alkyl substituents, spacer, and head group. Additionally, regarding their properties, comparison with their monomeric counterparts demonstrates that gemini surfactants have higher performance efficacy at lower concentrations. Hence, less material is needed, and the toxicity is lower. However, there are some limitations regarding their biocompatibility that have led researchers to develop amino acid-based and sugar-based gemini surfactants. Owing to their remarkable properties, cationic gemini surfactants are promising candidates for bioapplications such as drug delivery systems, gene carriers, and biomaterial surface modification.
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