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Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials
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Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Role of Xenobiotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 11962

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gerardo Prieto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Colloids and Polymers Physics Group, Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: surfactants; micelles; vesicles; liquid crystal; denaturation proteins; surfactants in cell lysis; surfactants in nanotechnology; surfactant lyotropic phases; self-assembly; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Barbosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Área de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Física, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: biosurfactants; micelles; vesicles; liquid crystal; denaturation proteins; surfactant in cell lysis; surfactant in nanotechnology; surfactant lyotropic phases; self-assembly; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Based on their intrinsic properties such as an outstanding interfacial activity, particular superficial features, and self-assembly ability, surfactants and soft nanomaterials play important roles in different scientific fields, from biology to nanotechnology and engineering.

This Special Issue will be focused on the development, characterization, and potential applications of surfactants in the above-mentioned fields. An example is the biological responses induced upon surfactants’ interactions with cell membranes or proteins. Studies on the characterization of surfactant-based assemblies, such as micelles, microemulsions, vesicles, and lyotropic phases, and their prospective applications in the pharmaceutical, agriculture, food, cosmetics, and petroleum industries are also of interest. Finally, other soft nanomaterials such as amphiphilic polymers, liquid crystals, and organic micro/nanoparticles and their potential applications in various fields will be welcome.

Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect state-of-the-art research on the design and characterization of novel soft nanomaterials and their intended applications in different areas. To achieve such a goal, we would like to invite researchers to contribute with original works, review articles, or expert opinions and perspectives on this topic.

Prof. Dr. Gerardo Prieto
Prof. Dr. Silvia Barbosa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biosurfactants
  • micelles
  • vesicles
  • liquid crystal
  • denaturation proteins
  • surfactant in cell lysis
  • surfactant in nanotechnology
  • surfactant lyotropic phases
  • self-assembly
  • drug delivery

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2956 KiB  
Article
Highly Efficient Modular Construction of Functional Drug Delivery Platform Based on Amphiphilic Biodegradable Polymers via Click Chemistry
by Guangkuo Zhao, Tongtong Ge, Yunfeng Yan, Qi Shuai and Wei-Ke Su
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(19), 10407; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221910407 - 27 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2780
Abstract
Amphiphilic copolymers with pendant functional groups in polyester segments are widely used in nanomedicine. These enriched functionalities are designed to form covalent conjugates with payloads or provide additional stabilization effects for encapsulated drugs. A general method is successfully developed for the efficient preparation [...] Read more.
Amphiphilic copolymers with pendant functional groups in polyester segments are widely used in nanomedicine. These enriched functionalities are designed to form covalent conjugates with payloads or provide additional stabilization effects for encapsulated drugs. A general method is successfully developed for the efficient preparation of functional biodegradable PEG-polyester copolymers via click chemistry. Firstly, in the presence of mPEG as initiator, Sn(Oct)2-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of the α-alkynyl functionalized lactone with D,L-lactide or ε-caprolactone afforded linear mPEG-polyesters bearing multiple pendant alkynyl groups. Kinetic studies indicated the formation of random copolymers. Through copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction, various small azido molecules with different functionalities to polyester segments are efficiently grafted. The molecular weights, polydispersities and grafting efficiencies of azido molecules of these copolymers were investigated by NMR and GPC. Secondly, it is demonstrated that the resulting amphiphilic functional copolymers with low CMC values could self-assemble to form nanoparticles in aqueous media. In addition, the in vitro degradation study and cytotoxicity assays indicated the excellent biodegradability and low cytotoxicity of these copolymers. This work provides a general approach toward the preparation of functional PEG-polyester copolymers in a quite efficient way, which may further facilitate the application of functional PEG-polyesters as drug delivery materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 2162 KiB  
Article
MWNTs or PEG as Stability Enhancers for DNA–Cationic Surfactant Gel Particles
by Amalia Mezei and Ramon Pons
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(16), 8801; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22168801 - 16 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
Cationic surfactants interact with DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), forming surfactant-DNA complexes that offer particularly efficient control for encapsulation and release of DNA from DNA gel particles. In the present work, DNA-based particles were prepared using CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) as the cationic surfactant and modified [...] Read more.
Cationic surfactants interact with DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), forming surfactant-DNA complexes that offer particularly efficient control for encapsulation and release of DNA from DNA gel particles. In the present work, DNA-based particles were prepared using CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) as the cationic surfactant and modified using two different additives: (Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes) MWNT or PEG (Poly Ethylene Glycol). The use of both additives to form composites increased the stability of the gel particles. The stability was monitored by the release of DNA and CTAB in different pH solutions. However, not much is known about the influence of pH on DNA–surfactant interaction and the release of DNA and surfactant from gel particles. It was observed that the solubilization of DNA occurs only in very acid media, while that of CTAB does not depend on pH and gets to a plateau after about 8 h. Within 2 h in contact with a pH = 2 solution, about 1% DNA and CTAB was released. Complete destruction for the gel particles was observed in pH = 2 solution after 17 days for PEG and 20 days for MWNT. The composite particles show a considerably enlarged sustained release span compared to the unmodified ones. The dehydration-rehydration studies show that the structure of the composite gel particles, as determined from SAXS (Small-Angle-X-Ray-Scattering) experiments, is similar to that of the unmodified ones. These studies will allow a better knowledge of these particles’ formation and evolution in view of possible applications in drug delivery and release. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 2180 KiB  
Article
Toxicity Profiling of Biosurfactants Produced by Novel Marine Bacterial Strains
by Georgia-Persephoni Voulgaridou, Theodora Mantso, Ioannis Anestopoulos, Ariel Klavaris, Christina Katzastra, Despoina-Eugenia Kiousi, Marini Mantela, Alex Galanis, Konstantinos Gardikis, Ibrahim M. Banat, Tony Gutierrez, Karina Sałek, Stephen Euston, Mihalis I. Panayiotidis and Aglaia Pappa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(5), 2383; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052383 - 27 Feb 2021
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3561
Abstract
Surface active agents (SAAs), currently used in modern industry, are synthetic chemicals produced from non-renewable sources, with potential toxic impacts on humans and the environment. Thus, there is an increased interest for the identification and utilization of natural derived SAAs. As such, the [...] Read more.
Surface active agents (SAAs), currently used in modern industry, are synthetic chemicals produced from non-renewable sources, with potential toxic impacts on humans and the environment. Thus, there is an increased interest for the identification and utilization of natural derived SAAs. As such, the marine environment is considered a promising source of biosurfactants with low toxicity, environmental compatibility, and biodegradation compared to their synthetic counterparts. MARISURF is a Horizon 2020 EU-funded project aiming to identify and functionally characterize SAAs, derived from a unique marine bacterial collection, towards commercial exploitation. Specifically, rhamnolipids produced by Marinobacter MCTG107b and Pseudomonas MCTG214(3b1) strains were previously identified and characterized while currently their toxicity profile was assessed by utilizing well-established methodologies. Our results showed a lack of cytotoxicity in in vitro models of human skin and liver as indicated by alamar blue and propidium iodide assays. Additionally, the use of the single gel electrophoresis assay, under oxidative stress conditions, revealed absence of any significant mutagenic/anti-mutagenic potential. Finally, both 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonicacid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) cell-free assays, revealed no significant anti-oxidant capacity for neither of the tested compounds. Consequently, the absence of significant cytotoxicity and/or mutagenicity justifies their commercial exploitation and potential development into industrial end-user applications as natural and environmentally friendly biosurfactants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials)
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Review

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25 pages, 1428 KiB  
Review
Nanomicellar Extraction of Polyphenols—Methodology and Applications Review
by Paweł Śliwa and Karolina Śliwa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(21), 11392; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222111392 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2845
Abstract
The selection of the appropriate extraction method is crucial, especially for the receiving of active substances from plant material. The extraction using supercritical liquids and micellar-mediated extraction (MME) is the most advantageous among the alternative methods to classical solid–liquid extraction. However, the latter [...] Read more.
The selection of the appropriate extraction method is crucial, especially for the receiving of active substances from plant material. The extraction using supercritical liquids and micellar-mediated extraction (MME) is the most advantageous among the alternative methods to classical solid–liquid extraction. However, the latter seems to be the best solution when the desired actives are polar. The following article presents a comprehensive review of the micellar-mediated extraction method in the last decade. The theoretical principle of the process was also refreshed and the current state of knowledge on the applications for analytical and manufacturing purposes was summarized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surfactants, Colloids, and Soft Nanomaterials)
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