Micellar Aggregates Research Articles

Effect of carbon chain length of cationic surfactants on regulating droplet behavior on peanut leaves.

Droplet rebound on superhydrophobic leaves during pesticide application significantly increases pesticide waste and decreases application efficiency. An appropriate surfactant is crucial for suppressing droplet rebound and enhancing wetting and spreading on leaf surfaces. The rebound, wetting and spreading behaviors of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CnTAB) series of surfactants with varying different carbon chain lengths (n = 6-16) were evaluated on peanut leaves. Aqueous solutions of C6TAB-C16TAB were prepared, their physicochemical properties were assessed. The surface properties of peanut leaves and droplet impact, wetting, and spreading behaviors were also tested. At equivalent concentrations, shorter-chain surfactant molecules were less effective at forming likely micellar aggregates that suppress droplet rebound. However, as chain length increased, the wetting and spreading rate of surfactant molecules improved, resulting in reverse wetting and suppressing bouncing. Furthermore, the impact of leaf micro/nanostructures and charge properties on the wetting behavior of different surfactant droplets was elucidated, revealing factors underlying the enhanced retention quantity and poor wetting and spreading of the CnTAB series. These findings may aid in reducing pesticide waste and provide multidimensional support for the precise control of droplet behavior in different scenarios and during CnTAB application. These findings hold substantial value for future agricultural spraying applications, especially for unmanned aerial vehicle plant protection. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Deep eutectic solvent-induced coacervation in micellar solution of alkyl polyglucoside surfactant: Supramolecular solvent formation and application in food analysis.

Deep eutectic solvent-induced coacervation in micellar solution of alkyl polyglucoside surfactant: Supramolecular solvent formation and application in food analysis.

Cationic-anionic synchronous ring-opening polymerization

Chemical reactions with incompatible mechanisms (such as nucleophilic reactions and electrophilic reactions, cationic polymerization and anionic polymerization) are usually difficult to perform simultaneously in one-pot. In particular, synchronous cationic-anionic polymerization has been an important challenge in the field of polymer synthesis due to possible coupling termination of both chain ends. We recently found that such terminal couplings can be significantly inhibited by a bismuth salt with a strong nucleophilic anion (e.g., BiCl3) and disclosed the mechanism. Accordingly, we propose a cationic-anionic polymerization (CAP) method where cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) of 2-oxazolines (Ox) and anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of cyclic esters (CE) can be initiated sequentially and propagated simultaneously in one-pot, using bismuth salts as the initial initiators, to afford a multifunctional copolymer polyoxazoline-block-polyester (POx-b-PCE). Furthermore, a block copolymer PAPOZ20-b-PCL5 synthesized by CAP can self-assemble into micellar aggregates, which exhibit excellent intrinsic antibacterial activities without loading any extra antibiotic components. Overall, such a CAP method opens new avenues for synthesizing multi-component copolymers and biomaterials.

Modulating the Aqueous Micellar Reorganization of Sequence-Defined Ionic Peptoid Block Copolymers by Ionizable Monomer Position and Solution pH.

The micellar aggregation of singly charged sequence-defined ionic peptoid block copolymers can be finely tuned by adjusting the position of the ionizable monomer along the chain and varying the solution pH. The pH-induced structural reorganization of these micelles was found to depend on the position of the ionizable monomer along the chain, influencing the balance of the hydrophobic interactions, excluded volume effect, and electrostatic forces (i.e., charge repulsion, solvation of the ionic monomers, counterion association) that govern the micellar structure. As the solution pH increases, positioning the ionizable monomer closer to the junction of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks causes a larger reduction in the micellar size and aggregation number across two distinct regimes. In contrast, placing the ionizable monomer at the terminus of the hydrophilic block results in a smaller reduction in the micellar size and aggregation number over three regimes. This study provides new insights into leveraging the strategic positioning of ionizable monomers to design stimuli-responsive nanoassemblies capable of programmable structural reorganization.

Self‐Assembled Micellar Aggregates From Star‐Shaped Copolymers Decorated With Cholesterol

Self‐Assembled Micellar Aggregates From Star‐Shaped Copolymers Decorated With Cholesterol

Amphiphilic Poly(ethylene glycol)-Cholesterol Conjugate: Stable Micellar Formulation for Efficient Loading and Effective Intracellular Delivery of Curcumin.

A biodegradable and biocompatible micellar-based drug delivery system was developed using amphiphilic methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-cholesterol (C1) and poly(ethylene glycol)-S-S-cholesterol (C2) conjugates and applied to the tumoral release of the water-insoluble drug curcumin. These synthesized surfactants C1 and C2 were found to form stable micelles (CMC ∼ 6 μM) and an average hydrodynamic size of around 20-25 nm. The curcumin-encapsulated C1 micelle was formulated by a solvent evaporation method. A very high drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) of ∼88% and a drug loading (DL) capacity of ∼9% were determined for both the micelles. From the reduced rate of curcumin degradation and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, the stability of the curcumin-loaded C1 micelle was found to be higher than that of the unloaded micelle, which confirmed a more compact structural arrangement in the presence of hydrophobic curcumin. A pH-sensitive release of curcumin (faster release with decrease in pH) was observed for the curcumin-loaded C1 micelle, attributed to the diffusion and relaxation/erosion of micellar aggregates. To achieve reduction environment-sensitive drug release, a disulfide (S-S) chemical linkage-incorporated mPEG-cholesterol conjugate (C2) was synthesized, which was found to show glutathione-responsive faster release of curcumin. The in vitro experiments carried out in SCC9 oral cancer cell lines showed that the blank C1 and C2 micelles were noncytotoxic at lower concentrations (<50 μM), while curcumin-loaded C1 and C2 micelles inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis. An increased in vitro cytotoxicity was observed for curcumin-loaded micelles compared to that of curcumin itself, demonstrating a better cell penetration efficacy of the micelle. These results were further supplemented by the in vivo anticancer analysis of the curcumin-loaded C1 and C2 micellar formulations using the mice xenograft model. Notably, curcumin-loaded C2 micelles showed a significantly stronger apoptotic effect in xenograft mice compared to curcumin-loaded C1 micelles, indicating the GSH environment-sensitive drug release and improved bioavailability. In conclusion, the mPEG-cholesterol C1 and C2 micellar system with the advantages of small size, high encapsulation efficiency, high drug loading, simple preparing technique, biocompatibility, and good in vitro and in vivo performance may have the potential to be used as a drug carrier for sustained and stimuli-responsive release of the hydrophobic drug curcumin.

Molecular Micellar Aggregate Electrolytes Enable Durable Electrochemical Proton Storage.

Proton electrochemistry holds eminent potential for developing high capacity and rate energy storage devices in the post-lithium era. However, the decomposition of water in acidic aqueous electrolytes causes electrode corrosion, leading to capacity fading. Herein, we report a judicious design of molecular micellar aggregates as non-aqueous electrolytes for stable and high-voltage electrochemical proton storage. The key to our strategy lies in introducing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), forming micelles to improve the miscibility of acetonitrile (ACN) and H3PO4, afford channel for proton transport, and electrostatically interact with phosphate ions of H3PO4 to further promote proton transport. Such aggregates impart rapid and stable electrochemical proton storage with a widened operating voltage (1.8 V vs. 1.5 V in aqueous electrolyte). By optimizing CTAB content, proton transport can be enhanced. Asymmetric full proton battery using the optimal CTAB electrolyte achieves a maximum energy density of 102.8 Wh kg-1 and a maximum power density of 10.1 kW kg-1. Our simple yet robust route to micellar aggregate electrolytes enables stable proton storage, underscoring its potential for grid-scale energy storage, emergency power supplies, and portable electronics.

Molecular Micellar Aggregate Electrolytes Enable Durable Electrochemical Proton Storage

AbstractProton electrochemistry holds eminent potential for developing high capacity and rate energy storage devices in the post‐lithium era. However, the decomposition of water in acidic aqueous electrolytes causes electrode corrosion, leading to capacity fading. Herein, we report a judicious design of molecular micellar aggregates as non‐aqueous electrolytes for stable and high‐voltage electrochemical proton storage. The key to our strategy lies in introducing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), forming micelles to improve the miscibility of acetonitrile (ACN) and H3PO4, afford channel for proton transport, and electrostatically interact with phosphate ions of H3PO4 to further promote proton transport. Such aggregates impart rapid and stable electrochemical proton storage with a widened operating voltage (1.8 V vs. 1.5 V in aqueous electrolyte). By optimizing CTAB content, proton transport can be enhanced. Asymmetric full proton battery using the optimal CTAB electrolyte achieves a maximum energy density of 102.8 Wh kg−1 and a maximum power density of 10.1 kW kg−1. Our simple yet robust route to micellar aggregate electrolytes enables stable proton storage, underscoring its potential for grid‐scale energy storage, emergency power supplies, and portable electronics.

Unlocking the Catalytic Potential of Anionic Micelles: Insights into the Ce(IV)-Directed Phenylalanine Oxidation Kinetics in Asymmetric Hydrophobic Environments.

The oxidation kinetics of phenylalanine (Phe) by Ce(IV) have been examined in both the absence and presence of aqueous micellar media with asymmetric tails, specifically using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) surfactants. The reaction progress was monitored by observing a decrease in absorbance using UV-vis spectroscopy. Interestingly, the kinetic profile revealed a consistent increase in the observed rate constant values as the concentration of the surfactant increased. The kinetic results have been analyzed by using numerous experimental studies, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, 1H NMR analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, conductometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorometry, time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Micellar aggregates maintain their spherical shape in the presence of the substrate, even at higher surfactant concentrations, as revealed by microstructural analysis. The substrate molecules are encapsulated to a greater extent in the inner micellar core of STS micelles on account of the more hydrophobic nature of STS surfactants. Therefore, in STS micellar media, fewer substrate molecules diffuse to the Stern layer compared to the SDS micellar medium, resulting in fewer molecules participating in the oxidative transformation reaction. As a result, the rate enhancement of oxidation kinetics is less pronounced in STS micelles than in SDS micelles. A plausible mechanism that aligns with the kinetic results has been highlighted, along with the interpretation of the Piszkiewicz model, to explain the observed catalytic effect of both micellar mediums.

Synthesis, characterization, biodegradation, and evaluation of the surface‐active properties of non‐ionic gemini surfactants derived from lauryl diethanolamide

AbstractThe surface activities and application properties of aqueous solution surfactants are greatly influenced by their structure, especially the spacer group that connects the polar head groups. Herein, four new non‐ionic Gemini surfactants with different spacers were designed and synthesized, and their surfactant properties and biodegradability were studied. The synthesis of these compounds involves a two‐step procedure. The first step is the formation of an amide from lauric acid and diethanolamine. The second step is the reaction of lauryl diethanolamide with four different spacers, the latter being flexible‐hydrophilic, and rigid‐hydrophobic in structure, respectively. Their structures were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT‐IR, and ESI‐MS. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), the surface tension at CMC (γCMC), the efficiency of these compounds to reduce the surface tension by 20 mN/m (C20 and pC20), the effectiveness (πCMC), the maximum surface excess (Γmax), and the minimum surface area (Amin) were measured at 20, 40, and 50°C. The molecular architecture of the spacers in these compounds strongly influences the thermodynamic parameters, such as the standard change for Gibbs free energy of adsorption (ΔG°ads) and the standard change for Gibbs free energy of micellization (ΔG°mic). The ability of these surfactants to reduce surface tension is particularly good, but their distinguishing characteristic is their high relative propensity to form micellar aggregates. This aggregation ability improves as the hydrophilicity and flexibility of the spacer increase. Finally, in less than 30 days, all non‐ionic Gemini surfactants were determined to be 99% biodegradable in river water.

Polyesters and Polyester Nano- and Microcarriers for Drug Delivery.

Many therapies require the transport of therapeutic compounds or substances encapsulated in carriers that reduce or, if possible, eliminate their direct contact with healthy tissue and components of the immune system, which may react to them as something foreign and dangerous to the patient's body. To date, inorganic nanoparticles, solid lipids, micelles and micellar aggregates, liposomes, polymeric micelles, and other polymer assemblies were tested as drug carriers. Specifically, using polymers creates a variety of options to prepare nanocarriers tailored to the chosen needs. Among polymers, aliphatic polyesters are a particularly important group. The review discusses controlled synthesis of poly(β-butyrolactone)s, polylactides, polyglycolide, poly(ε-caprolactone), and copolymers containing polymacrolactone units with double bonds suitable for preparation of functionalized nanoparticles. Discussed are syntheses of aliphatic polymers with controlled molar masses ranging from a few thousand to 106 and, in the case of polyesters with chiral centers in the chains, with controlled microstructure. The review presents also a collection of methods useful for the preparation of the drug-loaded nanocarriers: classical, developed and mastered more recently (e.g., nanoprecipitation), and forgotten but still with great potential (by the direct synthesis of the drug-loaded nanoparticles in the process comprising monomer and drug). The article describes also in-vitro and model in-vivo studies for the brain-targeted drugs based on polyester-containing nanocarriers and presents a brief update on the clinical studies and the polyester nanocarrier formulation approved for application in the clinics in South Korea for the treatment of breast, lung, and ovarian cancers.

Visible-Light-Induced Diselenide-Crosslinked Polymeric Micelles for ROS-Triggered Drug Delivery.

To synthesize an effective and versatile nano-platform serving as a promising carrier for controlled drug delivery, visible-light-induced diselenide-crosslinked polyurethane micelles were designed and prepared for ROS-triggered on-demand doxorubicin (DOX) release. A rationally designed amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(diselenolane diol-co-isophorone diisocyanate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-b-PUSe-b-PEG), which incorporates dangling diselenolane groups within the hydrophobic PU segments, was initially synthesized through the polycondensation reaction. In aqueous media, this type of amphiphilic block copolymer can self-assemble into micellar aggregates and encapsulate DOX within the micellar core, forming DOX-loaded micelles that are subsequently in situ core-crosslinked by diselenides via a visible-light-triggered metathesis reaction of Se-Se bonds. Compared with the non-crosslinked micelles (NCLMs), the as-prepared diselenide-crosslinked micelles (CLMs) exhibited a smaller particle size and improved colloidal stability. In vitro release studies have demonstrated suppressed drug release behavior for CLMs in physiological conditions, as compared to the NCLMs, whereas a burst release of DOX occurred upon exposure to an oxidation environment. Moreover, MTT assay results have revealed that the crosslinked polyurethane micelles displayed no significant cytotoxicity towards HeLa cells. Cellular uptake analyses have suggested the effective internalization of DOX-loaded crosslinked micelles and DOX release within cancer cells. These findings suggest that this kind of ROS-triggered reversibly crosslinked polyurethane micelles hold significant potential as a ROS-responsive drug delivery system.

Actively Targeting Redox-Responsive Multifunctional Micelles for Synergistic Chemotherapy of Cancer.

Stimuli-responsive polymeric micelles decorated with cancer biomarkers represent an optimal choice for drug delivery applications due to their ability to enhance therapeutic efficacy while mitigating adverse side effects. Accordingly, we synthesized a digoxin-modified novel multifunctional redox-responsive disulfide-linked poly(ethylene glycol-b-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymer (Bi(Dig-PEG-PLGA)-S2) for the targeted and controlled release of doxorubicin (DOX) in cancer cells. Within the micellar aggregate, the disulfide bond confers redox responsiveness, while the presence of the digoxin moiety acts as a targeting agent and chemosensitizer for DOX. Upon self-assembly in aqueous solution, Bi(Dig-PEG-PLGA)-S2 formed uniformly distributed spherical micelles with a hydrodynamic diameter (D h ) of 58.36 ± 0.78 nm and a zeta potential of -24.71 ± 1.01 mV. The micelles exhibited desirable serum and colloidal stability with a substantial drug loading capacity (DLC) of 6.26% and an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 83.23%. In addition, the release of DOX demonstrated the redox-responsive behavior of the micelles, with approximately 89.41 ± 6.09 and 79.64 ± 6.68% of DOX diffusing from DOX@Bi(Dig-PEG-PLGA)-S2 in the presence of 10 mM GSH and 0.1 mM H2O2, respectively, over 96 h. Therefore, in HeLa cell lines, DOX@Bi(Dig-PEG-PLGA)-S2 showed enhanced intracellular accumulation and subsequent apoptotic effects, attributed to the targeting ability and chemosensitization potential of digoxin. Hence, these findings underscore the promising characteristics of Bi(Dig-PEG-PLGA)-S2 as a multifunctional drug delivery vehicle for cancer treatment.

Modulating Interfacial Properties in Pseudoternary Microemulsions via Urea Addition: Impact of Cosurfactant on the Reverse Micellar Structure and Interactions.

We have studied the structural and interfacial properties of CTAB/isooctane/alcohol/aqueous urea reverse micelles (RMs) for the first time using time-resolved fluorescence and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques. The chain length of alcohol, used as cosurfactant, has been varied to design three microemulsion systems: CTAB/1-butanol, CTAB/1-hexanol, and CTAB/1-octanol/isooctane/water, at a fixed water loading ratio, w0 = 12. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy studies indicate that urea induces micellar aggregation in CTAB/1-butanol and CTAB/1-hexanol RMs but breaks down RM aggregates in CTAB/1-octanol RMs. Urea addition slows down solvation dynamics inside RMs at higher urea concentrations, evident from the longer lifetimes of solvent correlation decay. The underlying changes in microemulsion structure and intermicellar interactions are studied using small-angle X-ray scattering studies. The significant intermicellar interactions were modeled using the sticky hard sphere (SHS) for the CTAB/1-butanol and CTAB/1-hexanol RMs and by using the Macroion model for the CTAB/1-octanol RMs. The two different structural factors highlight the dominance of attractive and repulsive forces, respectively. Although there is no change in RM shape, the combination of urea addition and chain length variation in cosurfactants significantly alters the size and interface in these pseudoternary RMs.

Synthesis, Optimization and Molecular Self-Assembly Behavior of Alginate-g-Oleylamine Derivatives Based on Ugi Reaction for Hydrophobic Drug Delivery.

To achieve the optimal alginate-based oral formulation for delivery of hydrophobic drugs, on the basis of previous research, we further optimized the synthesis process parameters of alginate-g-oleylamine derivatives (Ugi-FOlT) and explored the effects of different degrees of substitution (DSs) on the molecular self-assembly properties of Ugi-FOlT, as well as the in vitro cytotoxicity and drug release behavior of Ugi-FOlT. The resultant Ugi-FOlT exhibited good amphiphilic properties with the critical micelle concentration (CMC) ranging from 0.043 mg/mL to 0.091 mg/mL, which decreased with the increase in the DS of Ugi-FOlT. Furthermore, Ugi-FOlT was able to self-assemble into spherical micellar aggregates in aqueous solution, whose sizes and zeta potentials with various DSs measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) were in the range of 653 ± 25~710 ± 40 nm and -58.2 ± 1.92~-48.9 ± 2.86 mV, respectively. In addition, RAW 264.7 macrophages were used for MTT assay to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of Ugi-FOlT in the range of 100~500 μg/mL, and the results indicated good cytocompatibility for Ugi-FOlT. Ugi-FOlT micellar aggregates with favorable stability also showed a certain sustained and pH-responsive release behavior for the hydrophobic drug ibuprofen (IBU). Meanwhile, it is feasible to control the drug release rate by regulating the DS of Ugi-FOlT. The influence of different DSs on the properties of Ugi-FOlT is helpful to fully understand the relationship between the micromolecular structure of Ugi-FOlT and its macroscopic properties.

Built‐In Trimodal Molecular Interaction Effect Enables Interface‐Compatible and Temperature‐Tolerance Aqueous Zinc Batteries

AbstractAqueous zinc‐ion batteries compatible with a wide temperature range and long cycle lifespan show great application prospects but are greatly limited by the unstable electrode‐electrolyte interfaces and mismatched electrolytes. This report presents the pathway of succinamic acid (SA) additive‐induced built‐in trimodal molecular interaction for constructing sustainable aqueous zinc batteries. As confirmed, such trimodal molecular interaction falls into the following patterns: the binding state of the H─F bond between SA and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder, the micellar aggregation state in aqueous electrolyte, and the spontaneous adsorption state at Zn anode–electrolyte interface. Benefiting from the above synergistic effect, the Zn electrode shows a highly reversible deposition/stripping behavior over the wide temperature range (−10–50 °C) when paired with the optimized electrolyte. Specially, an impressive 3530 h‐cycle lifespan of the Zn symmetrical cell is achieved at the conditions of 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. Beyond that, significantly improved storage capability and cycle performance are demonstrated in both aqueous Zn‐MnO2 and Zn‐I2 batteries. Given the good balance between the working temperature range, ionic conductivity, and Zn2+ transfer number of this trace molecule‐mediated electrolyte, this design paradigm provides new insights into developing advanced aqueous batteries, including but not limited to zinc‐based systems.

An ion specific continuum model on ionic surfactant's binary phase diagram in aqueous solution

An ion specific continuum model on ionic surfactant's binary phase diagram in aqueous solution

Unveiling the Potential of Surface Active Ionic Liquids Based Catanionic Vesicles for Tailored Delivery of Curcumin and its Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy

AbstractNano vehicles for drug delivery with stimuli‐responsive characteristics are gaining prominence due to their ability to enhance traditional drug delivery methods by minimizing side effects and improving drug efficacy. Among the various stimuli‐responsive systems, pH‐responsive drug delivery nano vehicles have garnered significant attention. Utilizing this pH variance, tailored drug delivery nano vehicles can release encapsulated drugs on demand. Here, we developed pH‐responsive catanionic vesicles to create customized drug delivery nano vehicles responsive to stimuli, particularly pH. we have designed catanionic vesicles through interacting two oppositely charged surface active ionic liquids (SAILs), i. e. cationic ‐methyl‐4‐(2‐(dodecyloxycarbonylmethyl)morpholin‐4‐ium bromide [C12EMorph][Br] with anionic Choline Oleate ([Ch][Ol]). The spherically shaped micellar aggregates of [C12EMorph][Br] are transformed into pH responsive vesicular nanoaggregates through judicious addition of [Ch][Ol]. The morphological transition was studied through various analytical techniques including DLS, FRET and SANS. We used these pH responsive vesicular nanoaggregates to load representative hydrophobic drug curcumin in order to enhance its solubility, efficacy and bioavailability. This innovative approach in designing pH‐responsive vesicular nanoaggregates using two biocompatible SAILs signifies a breakthrough in biomedical research, holding promise for advancements in drug delivery and therapeutic applications.

Dual Semi-Interpenetrating Networks of Water-Soluble Macromolecules and Supramolecular Polymer-like Chains: The Role of Component Interactions

Dual networks formed by entangled polymer chains and wormlike surfactant micelles have attracted increasing interest in their application as thickeners in various fields since they combine the advantages of both polymer- and surfactant-based fluids. In particular, such polymer-surfactant mixtures are of great interest as novel hydraulic fracturing fluids with enhanced properties. In this study, we demonstrated the effect of the chemical composition of an uncharged polymer poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and pH on the rheological properties and structure of its mixtures with a cationic surfactant erucyl bis(hydroxyethyl)methylammonium chloride already exploited in fracturing operations. Using a combination of several complementary techniques (rheometry, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy), we showed that a small number of residual acetate groups (2–12.7 mol%) in PVA could significantly reduce the viscosity of the mixed system. This result was attributed to the incorporation of acetate groups in the corona of the micellar aggregates, decreasing the molecular packing parameter and thereby inducing the shortening of worm-like micelles. When these groups are removed by hydrolysis at a pH higher than 7, viscosity increases by five orders of magnitude due to the growth of worm-like micelles in length. The findings of this study create pathways for the development of dual semi-interpenetrating polymer-micellar networks, which are highly desired by the petroleum industry.

Conjugated Nonionic Detergent Micelles: An Efficient Purification Platform for Dimeric Human Immunoglobulin A.

The SARS-COV-2 virus is a deadly agent of inflammatory respiratory disease. Since 2020, studies have focused on developing new therapies based on galactose-rich IgA antibodies. Clinical surveys have also revealed that galactose-deficient IgA1 polymerizes in serum, producing IgA nephropathy, which is a common cause of kidney failure in young adults. Here we show that IgA1-IgA2 dimers are efficiently and economically purified in solution via conjugated nonionic surfactant micellar aggregates. Quantitative capture at pH 7 and extraction at pH 6.5 can avoid antibody exposure to acidic, potentially denaturing conditions. Brij-O20 aggregates lead to the highest process yields (88-91%) and purity (94%). Recovered IgA dimers preserve their native secondary structure and do not self-associate. Increasing the reaction volume has little impact on yield or purity. By introducing an efficient, inexpensive IgA purification protocol, we assist pharmaceutical firms and research laboratories in developing new IgA-based therapies as well as in increasing our understanding of IgA1 polymerization.