Exploring interactions of copper hybrid surfactants with calf thymus-DNA

Abstract

The efficacy of copper functionalized surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to bind with Calf- thymus DNA was evaluated using different physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The two surfactant moieties viz. [CPC]+[CuCl3]− and [CPC]2+[CuCl4]2− were synthesized and a thorough approach has been made to understand the binding interface between CT-DNA and synthesized surfactants. Binding saturation point (BSP) of negatively charged CT-DNA with positively charged copper metallosurfactants was estimated from Zeta potential and conductivity data. Cyclic voltammetry and Zeta potential variations inferred electrostatic interaction between CT-DNA and metal hybrid surfactants. Fluorescence emission spectrscopy also points out that functionalized surfactants adopted a partial mode of binding through ionic interactions with moderate binding constant values. Circular Dichroism analysis lends us on the ground of non-covalent binding between CT-DNA and surfactant complexes. Conformational changes in the molecule under investigation have also been visualized through fluorescence microscopy imaging.