Synthesis, Self-Assembly Properties, and Degradation Characterization of a Nonionic Photocleavable Azo-Sulfide Surfactant Family

Abstract

We report the synthesisand characterizationof a new family of maltose-derivednonionicsurfactantsthat containa photocleavableazo-sulfidelinker(mAzo).The self-assemblypropertiesof these surfactantswere investigatedusing surfacetensionmeasurementsto determinethe criticalmicelleconcentration(CMC),dynamiclight scattering(DLS)toreveal the hydrodynamicradius of their self-assemblies,and transmissionelectronmicroscopy(TEM)to elucidatethe micellemorphology.Ultraviolet−visible(UV−visible)spectroscopyconfirmedthe rapid photodegradationof these surfactants,but surfacetensionmeasurementsof the surfactantsolutionsbefore and after degradationshowedunusualdegradationproducts.The photodegradationprocesswas furtherstudiedusing onlineliquidchromatographycoupledwith mass spectrometry(LC−MS),whichrevealedthat these surfactantscan formanotherphoto-stablesurfactantpost-degradation.Finally,traditionallychallengingproteinsfrom heart tissue were solubilizedusing the mAzo surfactantsto demonstratetheir potentialinbiologicalapplication