Curcumin (CUR), a water-insoluble compound with antioxidant and anti-VEGF properties, faces challenges in application due to poor water solubility and fast degradation, limiting its bioavailability for ocular drug delivery (OcDD). This study aimed to enhance the aqueous solubility of CUR and the physical stability of the formulation by forming CUR-loaded Pluronic® F127 (PF127) micelles. The study revealed that PF127 formed micelles at a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.21 ± 0.04% (w/v) in water. CUR-loaded PF127 micelles were prepared using three formulation methods and two centrifugation speeds to evaluate their influence on micelle sizes, redispersion, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE), and drug loading (DL). Among the tested formulations, CUR-loaded PF127 micelles prepared by thin-film hydration and centrifuged at 15000 rpm showed optimal particle sizes (∼20 nm) with %EE ranging from 4% to 72% depending on the drug to polymer ratio (1:10 to 1:120). These micelles remained physically stable after freeze-drying and sonication, with no significant size changes. Differential scanning calorimeter analysis revealed a shift in the thermogram and the presence of an amorphous phase, suggesting successful conversion of CUR from its crystalline form to an amorphous state within the micellar structure. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated CUR-loaded micelles exhibited lower toxicity compared to free CUR at higher concentrations. In vitro drug release showed sustained CUR release (∼23%) over 7 days, and ex vivo drug permeation studies revealed higher CUR retention in both the cornea and sclera of porcine eyes with CUR-loaded PF127 micelles compared to the control group of free CUR after 6 h. The ex vivo tissue uptake study also indicated enhanced permeation of CUR when delivered via PF127 micelles, showing stronger fluorescence signals within the tissue compared to free CUR. Therefore, this study demonstrates an interesting proof of concept for developing CUR-loaded PF127 micelles as an innovative and effective strategy for treating eye diseases in OcDD application.

A mixed cardanol sulfonate surfactant (MYBS) of disubstituted styrene unsaturated cardanol sulfonate (2,4-YBS) and monosubstituted styrene unsaturated cardanol sulfonate (2-YBS) was synthesized by optimizing the optimal synthesis conditions of the three-step reaction of alkylation, sulfonation and neutralization. The molar percentages of the two are about 70%: 30%. Its structure was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. At 25 °C, the surface tension of MYBS at critical micelle concentration (γCMC) and critical micelle concentration (CMC) was 33.32 mN/m and 0.676 mmol/L, respectively, which was better than that of traditional anionic surfactant (SDBS) and cardanol sulfonate surfactant (CDS). The thermodynamic parameters obtained from the conductivity measurements confirmed that the micellization process was a spontaneous and entropy-driven process. Dynamic light scattering test and transmission electron microscopy showed that MYBS molecules could form small spherical micelles of 10 nm-30 nm, which was consistent with the calculation results of critical packing theory. At the same time, the oil washing experiment confirmed that the oil washing efficiency can reach 73%, which provides technical support for the application of this kind of surfactant in improving oil recovery.

Bacterial resistance and the cytotoxicity of conventional quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) highlight the necessity for safer and more effective membrane-active antibacterials. This study aimed to synthesize a homologous series of quinuclidin-3-one-based QACs (QO-C12, QO-C14, and QO-C16) and to elucidate their structure-activity relationships through comprehensive antibacterial, antibiofilm, cytotoxicity, embryotoxicity, mechanistic, and physicochemical analyses. The compounds were evaluated against clinically relevant pathogens using broth microdilution, growth and time-kill assays, biofilm inhibition testing, membrane permeabilization analysis, cytotoxicity testing in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE1) and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells, zebrafish embryotoxicity assessments, and critical micelle concentration (CMC) measurements. Antibacterial potency was found to increase with alkyl chain length, with QO-C16exhibiting the highest activity, including minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 8 µM against Staphylococcus aureus(including methicillin-resistant strains) and 4 µM against Listeria monocytogenes. In Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM), MIC values were up to 32-fold lower than those observed in broth media, indicating a significant medium-dependent effect. QO-C14and QO-C16demonstrated robust antibiofilm activity, while QO-C16produced the fastest bactericidal and membrane-disruptive effects. The critical micelle concentration decreased with increasing chain length, aligning with enhanced hydrophobicity and membrane affinity. Compared to commercial QACs, the novel compounds exhibited lower cytotoxicity in human cell lines; however, zebrafish embryotoxicity did increase with chain length. Overall, quinuclidin-3-one represents a promising scaffold for the development of QACs, with QO-C16identified as the lead compound for further optimization toward selective antibacterial agents.

The hydrolysis of surfactants in acidic environments has been overlooked when evaluating their functionality. This gap is addressed here by investigating the breakdown of sucrose monopalmitate (SMP) on both ester and glycosidic bonds. As the main pathway, glycosidic hydrolysis generated reducing sugars and monosaccharide monopalmitate; ester hydrolysis was minor. The first-order kinetics were accelerated at low pH and elevated temperatures. At pH 3 and 20 °C, 10 w/w% SMP was hydrolyzed after 4 weeks. After hydrolysis, surfactants showed higher hydrophobicity, inhibited interfacial adsorption, enlarged micelle sizes, promoted aggregation, and a lower critical micelle concentration. These changes reduce the elasticity of the interface, thereby undermining foaming and emulsifying activities but inhibiting lipid oxidation. Emulsions initially stabilized with SMP (pH 3) exhibited droplet growth during storage, which was attributed to disruptions in the oil-water interface as the disaccharide-based polar head is cleaved. These findings reveal the critical role of changing the molecular characteristics of emulsifiers to tune their interfacial behavior.

A novel low-molecular-weight hydrogel (LMWH) was designed through the intricate process of molecular self-assembly of a biocompatible and biodegradable Nα-lauroyl-l-arginine methyl ester, a cationic arginine-based surfactant, abbreviated as LAM. Transitioning from spherical to smart worm-like micelles (SWLM), confirmed through DLS and SAXS, this surfactant displayed an extraordinary capability to induce gelation in aqueous solutions above pH 8.5, even at a mere 0.5% weight ratio. The hydrogel exhibited reversible responsiveness to changes in temperature (long-lasting thermal tolerance), with Tgel observed at approximately 38.5 °C. Additionally, gel-sol transition was observed upon pH change and mechanical agitation. The mechanical characteristics of the LAM hydrogel studied through rheology were found to be exquisitely adaptable, enabling its fine-tuning through adjustments in the (i) concentration of LAM, (ii) Hofmeister chaotropic anions, and (iii) ionic strength. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) and critical gelation concentration (CGC) of LAM decreased, whereas the gelation temperature, Tgel, increased from 38.5 to 53.5 °C, upon addition of 0.6 M NaI. At this ionic strength, the mechanical strength of the gel increased by 66.9 times. The hierarchical microstructure properties were analyzed through an inverted microscope, FESEM, and a THUNDER microscope. Besides the structural versatility of the LAM hydrogel, it exhibited exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, and injectability. Moreover, it displayed notable antimicrobial properties, effectively countering both bacterial and fungal pathogens. The hydrogel also finds better applications in environmental remediation by sequestering heavy metal ions (HMIs).

Salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) is an FDA GRAS-listed permeation enhancer used in oral semaglutide and vitamin B12 formulations. Although its rapid and reversible membrane-perturbing effects are well recognised, it's in vivo performance is highly variable. Since effective membrane fluidisation requires permeation enhancers to remain as monomers, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) is a key determinant of efficacy. This study investigated the micellization behaviour of SNAC under physiologically relevant conditions. The CMC of SNAC was determined across physiologically relevant pH buffers using complementary techniques, including conductometry, tensiometry, microvolume UV/Visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The effects of electrolytes, bile salts, and selected coadministered drugs on SNAC micellization were evaluated. SNAC did not form micelles under gastric conditions due to increased protonation and low solubility. In contrast, SNAC micellized at intestinal pH 6.8 with a CMC of 6.26 ± 0.38mM. Physiological factors strongly influenced micellization, particularly under intestinal conditions. The presence of electrolytes significantly reduced the CMC to 3.36 ± 0.03mM, due to reduced electrostatic repulsion and a counter-ion effect. Bile salts showed a biphasic effect, increasing the CMC at low concentrations and promoting mixed micellization at higher concentrations. Coadministered drugs, including aspirin, metformin, nimesulide, ciprofloxacin, and semaglutide, significantly altered SNAC CMC values. Semaglutide showed a non-monotonic effect, decreasing the CMC at low concentrations but increasing it at higher concentrations due to oligomerisation. These findings provide mechanistic insights into SNAC micellization under physiologically relevant conditions and offer a rational basis for optimising SNAC-based oral drug delivery systems.

To mitigate the low stability of β-carotene (βC), this study developed amphiphilic inulin (INU)-fatty acid (FA) conjugates by hydrophobically modifying INU with stearic acid, oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, which were subsequently employed for βC encapsulation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance verified successful synthesis, with critical micelle concentrations ranging from 0.014 to 0.035 mg mL-1. Among all the βC-INU-FA micelles, βC-INU-OA showed the strongest stability and homogeneity, with its encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity for βC reaching 62.26% and 0.251 mg mg-1, respectively. It also showed good stability at 4 and 25 °C. Co-assembly molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed that INU-OA could encapsulate βC molecules by the strong van der Waals force provided by OA, resulting in stronger stability compared with unmodified INU. This superior performance of INU-OA was attributed to its cis-double-bond-induced bent conformation, which promoted a porous structure and enhanced hydrophobic interactions with βC, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and MD simulations. This study combines macroscopic and microscopic analyses to demonstrate the potential of INU-OA-βC micelles as a promising βC delivery system, providing new insights for amphiphilic polysaccharide-based carrier design. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Biologically responsive micelles based on polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide for docetaxel delivery.

Stimuli-responsive polymeric nanocarriers have emerged as a promising strategy for targeted and controlled drug delivery, addressing limitations such as premature drug release and low bioavailability. Developing systems that respond to multiple physiological triggers is crucial for improving therapeutic precision and reducing side effects. The present study introduces the development of a unique amphiphilic random copolymeric nanocarrier with pH- and redox-responsiveness for advanced drug delivery applications. The copolymer incorporates hydrophilic carboxylic acid groups, hydrophobic coumarin moieties, and disulfide linkages, enabling self-assembly into spherical aggregates with a coumarin-rich core and a hydrophilic surface. These aggregates exhibit a low critical micelle concentration (0.006 mg mL-1), ensuring stability in dilute environments. Spherical nanocarriers remain stable under acidic conditions (∼pH 2.0) and disassemble at neutral to basic pH (∼pH 7.4), mimicking gastrointestinal conditions. This property allows site-specific, stimulus-triggered drug release, with high drug-loading efficiency. The stimuli-responsiveness of the nanocarrier not only enhances oral drug delivery but also offers a versatile platform for encapsulating a wide range of therapeutics and diagnostics. This multifunctional nanocarrier system opens new avenues for personalized medicine and advanced material technologies, highlighting its potential for broader translational and industrial applications.

In this study, biosurfactant-producing bacterial isolates were screened and isolated from a hydrocarbon-rich automobile workshop, marine water, agarwood, and ayurvedic industrial waste. The efficient bacterial isolate Pseudomonas aeruginosa WARP_W1 reduced surface tension to 35.21 mN/m and emulsified 64.32% of olive oil. The biosurfactant production was attempted using different oil sources, with coconut oil producing 899.69 mg/L biosurfactant, which is 35.8% more than olive oil. Logistic kinetic models accurately predicted microbial growth rate (R2 > 0.975) and biosurfactant production rate at 0.348h−1 and 0.201h−1, respectively. These data suggest that coconut oil could be a suitable substrate for biosurfactant. The physicochemical properties were also found to be efficient, with a low critical micelle concentration of 110.60 mg/L and a lowered surface tension of 26.99 mN/m in coconut oil. FTIR and NMR spectroscopy confirmed the glycolipid in the produced biosurfactant by showing rhamnolipid-like structural features. P. aeruginosa WARP_W1 is ideal for large-scale biosurfactant production because of its versatile utilization of carbon sources. This study provides the growth and product kinetic information on the substrate-specific production of biosurfactants.

In this work, polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) incorporating the KI/I2 redox couple and different surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB), were formulated and systematically characterized for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The main objective was to overcome the intrinsic drawbacks of conventional liquid electrolytes, such as leakage, volatility, and poor mechanical stability. The gels were prepared via physical crosslinking of PVA in aqueous media, with surfactants introduced at concentrations below, at, and above their critical micelle concentration (CMC). Structural, electrochemical, and rheological properties were investigated using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, zeta potential and ionic conductivity measurements, oscillatory rheology, and optical microscopy. The results show that surfactant incorporation strongly affects gel organization and ion transport. SDS increased ionic conductivity up to 5.98 mS/cm at the CMC, while CTAB induced ion trapping at sub-CMC levels and reduced conductivity down to 0.0152 mS/cm. CAPB provided a near-neutral electrostatic environment and achieved a peak conductivity of 9.22 mS/cm above the CMC, along with homogeneous microstructure. These findings demonstrate that surfactant-assisted PVA-based gel electrolytes, particularly SDS- and CAPB-containing systems, are promising candidates for stable, flexible, and efficient quasi-solid-state DSSCs.

Muscle relaxants are fundamental to modern anesthesia, primarily targeting voltage-gated sodium channels. While μ-conotoxin CnIIIC is a potent peptide inhibitor, its clinical translation is hindered by poor metabolic stability and rapid systemic clearance. This study aimed to overcome these limitations and enhance its therapeutic potential via a rational molecular self-assembly strategy. Two novel derivatives of μ-conotoxin CnIIIC (S1-CnIIIC and S2-CnIIIC) were designed and synthesized through site-specific side-chain modification. Their self-assembly properties were systematically characterized, and their efficacy was evaluated in a mouse model by measuring the duration of neuromuscular blockade, which was compared against the native peptide. S1-CnIIIC demonstrated a moderate propensity for self-assembly. In contrast, S2-CnIIIC efficiently formed micellar structures with a critical micelle concentration of 524.8 μM, indicating a superior self-assembly capability. In vivo, S2-CnIIIC not only exhibited a significantly prolonged duration of neuromuscular blockade but also showed a reduced systemic toxicity profile compared to the native CnIIIC. The molecular self-assembly approach markedly enhanced the stability and overall pharmacological performance of the peptide inhibitor. Our findings indicate that side-chain engineering effectively modulates the supramolecular assembly process, which in turn facilitates a more controlled drug release kinetics. The exceptional in vivo performance of S2-CnIIIC underscores the potential of rationally designed peptide nanostructures to address key challenges in peptide-based drug development. Molecular self-assembly presents a robust strategy to advance the clinical translation of μ-conotoxin derivatives. Specifically, the S2-CnIIIC derivative emerges as a highly promising candidate for next-generation muscle relaxants, successfully combining a prolonged neuromuscular blockade with an improved safety profile.

Abstract Per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as ‘forever’ chemicals and have lasting detrimental impact on the environment and living organisms. To understand PFAS molecules better, this review begins with an overview of PFAS definition, classifications and applications, and then provides a comprehensive summary and critical analysis of physical properties [e.g. vapor pressure, water solubility, Henry's constant, critical micelle concentration (CMC) and octanol–water partition coefficient K ow ] and chemical properties (bond strength and degradation half‐time) of common PFAS. Furthermore, PFAS destruction methods are discussed based on two categories: nonbiological and biological. First, major nonbiological degradation methods (i.e. thermal, sonochemical, electrochemical oxidation, plasma technology and photocatalysis) are compared in terms of their mechanisms, efficiency, energy consumption and challenges. Next, we focus on biological approaches, which include microbial (enzymes in microorganisms) and enzymatic (isolated enzymes) methods, and describe various mechanisms of key enzymes in PFAS degradation, such as fluoroacetate dehalogenase (FAcD), cytochrome P450 enzymes, peroxidases, laccases and cysteine dioxygenase (CDO). This review underscores fundamental challenges in PFAS degradation, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different destruction methods, and elucidates various enzymatic mechanisms driving the breakdown of xenobiotic substances. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Conductometric investigations on praseodymium soaps (myristate and palmitate) were performed at various temperatures (25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C) and concentrations in a 60/40 benzene-methanol mixture (V/V). The critical micelle concentrations (CMC) obtained at different temperatures showed reasonable consistency with the CMC values derived from other physical measurement techniques. The molar conductance results indicated that praseodymium soaps in the 60/40 benzene-methanol mixture (V/V) act as weak electrolytes in dilute solutions, so the dissociation of these soaps can be understood through Ostwald’s dilution law. Various thermodynamic parameters for both the dissociation and micellization processes were evaluated. The thermodynamic findings suggest that the micellization process is favored over the dissociation process.

Phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) lipids, enriched on the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane, are key regulators of diverse cellular processes, often through interactions with partner proteins that regulate actin assembly. Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) provide a powerful model system to study the interactions of PIP lipids with their partner proteins. However, despite advances in SLB preparation methods, it remains a challenge to robustly obtain fluid SLBs in which PIP lipids are both mobile and asymmetrically distributed. In this study, we report a simple and robust method to generate asymmetric SLBs containing tunable amounts of PI(4,5)P2. By dissolving PI(4,5)P2 below its critical micelle concentration (CMC), we enable its spontaneous insertion into the upper leaflet of SLBs exposed to bulk solution. The mobility of PI(4,5)P2 is confirmed using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Furthermore, we demonstrate that PI(4,5)P2 incorporated using this method retains its functionality, recruiting binding partners, actin-membrane linker ezrin, and myosin 1 motors capable of sliding actin filaments on the SLBs. Our method offers a straightforward strategy to generate asymmetric PI(4,5)P2-containing SLBs and is applicable to other lipid species with high CMC values.

Surfactants are widely used for industrial applications, yet more environmentally friendly surfactants with enhanced properties are demanded. A key thermodynamic property governing the behavior of a surfactant in an aqueous solution is its critical micelle concentration (CMC). Below the CMC, increasing the surfactant concentration reduces the surface tension of the solution; above the CMC, the water-air interface becomes saturated with adsorbed surfactant, leading excess surfactant to self-assemble into micelles and the surface tension to plateau. Many physicochemical properties of a surfactant solution exhibit sharp changes at the CMC. The conventional experimental protocol to determine the CMC of a surfactant is labor-intensive and time-consuming: (1) prepare many surfactant solutions spanning a wide concentration range and then (2) measure the surface tension of each solution. Herein, we adopt Bayesian experimental design (BED) to determine the CMC of a surfactant more efficiently─even without prior knowledge of its order of magnitude. BED follows an experiment-model-design feedback loop: (1) prepare a surfactant solution and measure its surface tension; (2) use all surface tension data thus far to obtain a posterior distribution over thermodynamic models of the surface tension isotherm of the surfactant; and (3) pick the surfactant concentration for the next experiment to maximize expected information gain about the CMC. We show that BED efficiently gathers information about the CMC using two surfactants (octyl-β-d-thioglucopyranoside and Triton X-100) as test cases. Broadly, BED can reduce the time, effort, cost, and chemical waste to determine the CMC of surfactants and drive an autonomous laboratory for surfactant discovery and characterization.

Spectral properties of thymine and its interaction with tryptophan and bioinspired membranes.

ABSTRACT Surfactants self‐assemble into diverse nanostructures in solvents ranging from water to organic solvents, ionic liquids and even deep eutectic solvents. Among these, mixtures composed of water and polyols exhibit tunable physicochemical properties, making them ideal for controlling aggregation. Here, we systematically investigated the self‐assembly of the nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether (C 18‐1 EO 10 ) in the water–ethylene glycol (EG) binary mixtures. Surface tension measurements reveal that the critical micelle concentration increases monotonically with EG content, reflecting the attenuated solvophobic interactions. The phase behavior was investigated using small angle X‐ray scattering, polarized optical microscopy and rheology. The phase diversity of lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) progressively decreases with EG content. Structural analysis of LLCs suggests that C 18‐1 EO 10 adopts a looser packing with the addition of EG. Rheological results demonstrate that EG addition reduces mechanical strength and thermal stability, consistent with the cohesive energy of solvents. Our findings develop a simple method to adjust the self‐assembly of surfactants by tuning binary mixture composition, expanding the applications of ordered molecular aggregates in various media.

Interfacial synergistic modulation via surfactant-electric field interactions for enhanced spray atomization.

Pea protein-steviol glycosides complexes: Fabrication, characterization and evaluation for the emulsifying capacity.