Novel Carbohydrate Based Non-Ionic Gemini Surfactants with Flexible Spacer as Reverse Micellar Systems for Encapsulation of D- and L-Enantiomers of Some Aromatic α-Amino Acids in n-Hexane

Abstract

AbstractNovel non-ionic gemini surfactants derived from carbohydrate carrying two hydrophobic tails with varying tail length of C12, C14 and C16, two sugar moiety as head groups, and an α-(CH2)6-flexible spacer have been synthesized. The head group of these gemini surfactants consists of sugar moiety connected to C-6 of tertiary amines. These gemini amphiphiles were explored as reverse micellar systems for encapsulation of some D- and L-enantiomers of aromatic α-amino acids i.e. histidine (His), phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr) and tryptophan (Trp) in n-hexane in the absence of water. It is found that these amino acids are encapsulated in the order of His > Phe > Tyr > Trp, and it is also observed that in almost all cases the D-enantiomers were better encapsulated as compared to the L-enantiomers. In all cases, encapsulation of D- and L-enantiomers of aromatic α-amino acids increased with increase of the hydrophobic chain length of the gemini surfactants.