Oil solubilization capacity, liquid crystalline properties, and antibacterial activity of alkanolamine-based novel cationic surfactants

A series of monomeric and dimeric cationic surfactants with tuned polarity was synthesized. Oil solubilization capacity, thermotropic liquid crystalline properties, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of novel hydroxylated cationic surfactants using selected gram positive and gram negative bacteria were examined. Antibacterial activity and the propensity of gemini surfactants for oil solubilization were observed to be better than those of corresponding monomeric surfactants. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams for these surfactants, methyl methacrylate (MMA), and water clearly showed, that microemulsions can be easily formulated with all these surfactants. Solubilization and foam studies of mixed surfactant systems were also examined. Molecular architecture like the tail length, head group area, and presence of ethanolic goups in the surfactant affect the performance properties. Unlike conventional gemini surfactants the synthesized gemini surfactants also show thermotropic liquid crystalline properties (smectic-A, L-alpha phase).