Solution self-assembly and adsorption at the air-water interface of the monorhamnose and dirhamnose rhamnolipids and their mixtures

Langmuir. 2010 Dec 7;26(23):18281-92. doi: 10.1021/la1031812. Epub 2010 Oct 28.

Abstract

The self-assembly in solution and adsorption at the air-water interface, measured by small-angle neutron scattering, SANS, and neutron reflectivity, NR, of the monorhamnose and dirhamnose rhamnolipids (R1, R2) and their mixtures, are discussed. The production of the deuterium-labeled rhamnolipids (required for the NR studies) from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa culture and their separation into the pure R1 and R2 components is described. At the air-water interface, R1 and R2 exhibit Langmuir-like adsorption isotherms, with saturated area/molecule values of about 60 and 75 Å(2), respectively. In R1/R2 mixtures, there is a strong partitioning of R1 to the surface and R2 competes less favorably because of the steric or packing constraints of the larger R2 dirhamnose headgroup. In dilute solution (<20 mM), R1 and R2 form small globular micelles, L(1), with aggregation numbers of about 50 and 30, respectively. At higher solution concentrations, R1 has a predominantly planar structure, L(α) (unilamellar, ULV, or bilamellar, BLV, vesicles) whereas R2 remains globular, with an aggregation number that increases with increasing surfactant concentration. For R1/R2 mixtures, solutions rich in R2 are predominantly micellar whereas solutions rich in R1 have a more planar structure. At an intermediate composition (60 to 80 mol % R1), there are mixed L(α)/L(1) and L(1)/L(α) regions. However, the higher preferred curvature associated with R2 tends to dominate the mixed R1/R2 microstructure and its associated phase behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Air
  • Chemistry / methods
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Light
  • Lipids / chemistry*
  • Mass Spectrometry / methods
  • Models, Chemical
  • Models, Statistical
  • Neutrons
  • Rhamnose / chemistry*
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Solutions
  • Surface Properties
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Lipids
  • Solutions
  • Water
  • Rhamnose