Fabrication of Encapsulated Gemini Surfactants

(1) Background: Encapsulation of surfactants is an innovative approach that allows not only protection of the active substance, but also its controlled and gradual release. This is primarily used to protect metallic surfaces against corrosion or to create biologically active surfaces. Gemini surfactants are known for their excellent anticorrosion, antimicrobial and surface properties; (2) Methods: In this study, we present an efficient methods of preparation of encapsulated gemini surfactants in form of alginate and gelatin capsules; (3) Results: The analysis of infrared spectra and images of the scanning electron microscope confirm the effectiveness of encapsulation; (4) Conclusions: Gemini surfactants in encapsulated form are promising candidates for corrosion inhibitors and antimicrobials with the possibility of protecting the active substance against environmental factors and the possibility of controlled outflow.

Cationic gemini surfactant properties, its potential as a promising bioapplication candidate, and strategies for improving its biocompatibility: A review

Gemini surfactants consist of two cationic monomers of a surfactant linked together with a spacer. The specific structure of a cationic gemini surfactant is the reason for both its high surface activity and its ability to decrease the surface tension of water. The high surface activity and unique structure of gemini surfactants result in outstanding properties, including antibacterial and antifungal activity, anticorrosion properties, unique aggregation behaviour, the ability to form various structures reversibly in response to environmental conditions, and interactions with biomacromolecules such as DNA and proteins. These properties can be tailored by selecting the optimal structure of a gemini surfactant in terms of the nature and length of its alkyl substituents, spacer, and head group. Additionally, regarding their properties, comparison with their monomeric counterparts demonstrates that gemini surfactants have higher performance efficacy at lower concentrations. Hence, less material is needed, and the toxicity is lower. However, there are some limitations regarding their biocompatibility that have led researchers to develop amino acid-based and sugar-based gemini surfactants. Owing to their remarkable properties, cationic gemini surfactants are promising candidates for bioapplications such as drug delivery systems, gene carriers, and biomaterial surface modification.

Construction, petro-collecting/dispersing capacities, antimicrobial activity, and molecular docking study of new cationic surfactant-sulfonamide conjugates

Surfactants with their diverse activities have been recently involved in controlling the spread of new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as they are capable of disrupting the membrane surrounding the virus. Using hybrids approach, we constructed a novel series of cationic surfactant-sulfonamide conjugates (3a-g) through quaternization of the as-prepared sulfonamide derivatives (2a-g) with n-hexadecyl iodide followed by structural characterization by spectroscopy (IR and NMR). Being collective properties required in petroleum-processing environment, the petro-collecting/dispersing capacities on the surface of waters with different degrees of mineralization, and the antimicrobial performance against microbes and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) that mitigate microbiological corrosion were investigated for the synthesized conjugates. Among these conjugates, 3g (2.5% aq. solution) exhibited the strongest ability to disperse the thin petroleum film on the seawater surface, whereas K_D is 95.33% after 96 h. In diluted form, 3f collected the petroleum layer on distilled water surface (K_max = 32.01) for duration exceeds 4 days. Additionally, almost all compounds revealed high potency and comparable action with standard antimicrobials, especially 3b and 3f, which emphasize their role as potential biocides. Regarding biocidal activity against SRB, 3g causes a significant reduction in the bacterial count from 2.8 × 10⁶ cells/mL to Nil. Moreover, the conducted molecular docking study confirms the strong correlation between RNA polymerase binding with bioactivity against microbes over other studied proteins (threonine synthase and cyclooxygenase-2).

Adsorption and Corrosion Performance of New Cationic Gemini Surfactants Derivatives of Fatty Amido Ethyl Aminium Chloride with Ester Spacer for Mild Steel in Acidic Solutions

Three new cationic gemini surfactants with ester spacer type 2-2′-(ethane-1,2-diyl bis(oxy)) bis(N-(2-alkanamidoethyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-oxoethan-1-aminium)) dichloride) (CGSES12, CGSES14 and CGSES16), based on N,N-dimethyl fatty amido ethylamine, were produced. These gemini quaternary ammonium salts were synthesized using a three-step reaction method, starting from th/e condensation of the fatty acid chloride (RCOCl) of various hydrophobic chain lengths (R, C₁₁H₂₃, C₁₃H₂₇, C₁₅H₃₁) with N,N-dimethyl ethylene diamine, followed by the quaternization of the tertiary amino group formed with the spacer of the ester group formed in the second step. The chemical configuration of the surfactants was established by FT-IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR and Mass spectroscopies. The inhibition performance of three surfactants was studied by weight loss and electrochemical measurements. The results show that CGSES12, CGSES14 and CGSES16 behave as effective inhibitors and surface agents. The maximum efficiency was higher than 94% at 2.5 mM, and the inhibition order was CGSES16 > CGSES14 > CGSES12. This was due to the increment in hydrophobicity of the gemini surfactants. Their adsorption on a mild steel surface followed the Langmuir isotherm. CGSES12, CGSES14 and CGSES16 can be considered mixed-type inhibitors. The presence of CGSES12, CGSES14 and CGSES16 increased charge transfer resistance and decreased the corrosion rate. The adsorption focused on heteroatoms and the surface properties of cationic gemini surfactants.

Progressive Applications of Hyperbranched Polymer Based on Diarylamine: Antimicrobial, Anti-Biofilm and Anti-Aerobic Corrosion

New generations of hyperbranched aramids were synthesized from diarylamine and methyl acrylate using an AB₂ monomer approach in a straightforward one-pot preparation. The chemical structure of hyperbranched Phenylenediamine/Methyl Acrylate HB(PDMA was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹HNMR) spectroscopy. In addition, the particle’s size and distribution were recorded using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Moreover, the synthesized HB(PDMA)s displayed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as yeast strains and anti-biofilm activity where the highest activity was attributed to HB(PDMA)G₄ at the lowest Minimum Inhibitory, Minimum Bactericidal, and Fungicidal Concentrations (MIC, MBC, and MFC, respectively). Furthermore, the HB(PDMA)s expressed anti-bacterial activity against isolated Pseudomonas sp. (R301) at a salinity of 35,000 ppm (NaCl). In addition, they revealed different corrosion inhibition efficiencies at the cultivated medium salinity at the estimated minimum bactericidal concentrations. The highest metal corrosion inhibition efficiencies were 59.5 and 94.3% for HB(PDMA)G₄ at the Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs) and two times Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (2XMBCs), respectively, in comparison to both negative and positive controls.

Enhancement of A Cationic Surfactant by Capping Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization and Multiple Applications

There is scarce information on cationic surfactants’ biocidal and corrosion inhbibition effects on Slime-Forming Bacteria (SFB) isolated from oil field formation water. Therefore, this work focused on the the synthesis of a cationic surfactant (CS) to increase its features by capping different metal nanoparticles (zinc, ZnNPs-C-CS; manganese, MnNPs-C-CS and tin, SnNPs-C-CS) and used them as biocides and corrosion inhibitors. The cationic surfactant was synthesized and characterized by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Afterwards, different nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and exploited to cap by the CS. The CS and the different nanoparticles capped by the CS were tested for their antimicrobial susceptibility against standard bacterial and yeast strains. The synthesized compounds were further evaluated as anti-biofilms agents against positively-developed bacterial biofilms. Moreover, the CS and the ZnNPs-C-CS, MnNPs-C-CS, and SnNPs-C-CS were assessed as potential biocides against SFB, particularly Pseudomonas sp. (isolated from contaminated formation water), and as corrosion inhibitors against cultivated salinity. The results revealed the great effect of the different CS-capped NPs as broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents at lower Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs), Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs), Minimum Fungicidal Concentrations (MFCs) and Minimum Biofilm Inhibitory Concentrations (MBICs), and the activities were reported in order of SnNPs-C-CS > MnNPs-C-CS > ZnNPs-C-CS > CS. Furthermore, the ZnNPs-C-CS, MnNPs-C-CS, and SnNPs-C-CS demonstrated biocidal and corrosion inhibition effects against Pseudomonas sp. at a salinity of 3.5% NaCl, with metal corrosion inhibition efficiencies of 88.6, 94.0 and 96.9%, in comparison to a CS efficiency of 85.7%. In conclusion, the present work provides a newly synthesized cationic surfactant and has enhanced its antimicrobial and its metal corrosion inhibition effects by capping different nanoparticles, and it has been successfully applied against slime-forming bacteria at a salinity of 3.5% NaCl.

Multiple Applications of a Novel Cationic Gemini Surfactant: Anti-Microbial, Anti-Biofilm, Biocide, Salinity Corrosion Inhibitor, and Biofilm Dispersion (Part II)

The Egyptian petroleum industries are incurring severe problems with corrosion, particularly corrosion that is induced by sulfidogenic microbial activities in harsh salinity environments despite extensively using biocides and metal corrosion inhibitors. Therefore, in this study, a synthesized cationic gemini surfactant (SCGS) was tested as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, anti-bacterial, anti-candida, anti-fungal, anti-biofilm (anti-adhesive), and bio-dispersion agent. The SCGS was evaluated as a biocide against environmental sulfidogenic-bacteria and as a corrosion inhibitor for a high salinity cultivated medium. The SCGS displayed wide spectrum antimicrobial activity with minimum bactericidal/fungicidal inhibitory concentrations. The SCGS demonstrated anti-bacterial, anti-biofilm, and bio-dispersion activity. The SCGS exhibited bactericidal activity against environmental sulfidogenic bacteria and the highest corrosion inhibition efficiency of 93.8% at 5 mM. Additionally, the SCGS demonstrated bio-dispersion activity against the environmental sulfidogenic bacteria at 5.49% salinity. In conclusion, this study provides a novel synthesized cationic surfactant with many applications in the oil and gas industry: as broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agents, corrosion inhibition for high salinity, biocides for environmentally sulfidogenic bacteria, and as bio-dispersion agents.

4,4'-(((1E,5E)-pentane-1,5-diylidene)bis(azanylylidene))bis(1-dodecylpyridin-1-ium) bromide as a novel corrosion inhibitor in an acidic solution (part I)

The metal corrosion inhibition efficiency of a novel synthesized cationic gemini surfactant (SCGS), namely, 4,4'-(((1E,5E)-pentane-1,5-diylidene)bis(azanylylidene))bis (1-dodecylpyridin-1-ium) bromide, was studied in acidic medium by three techniques. The achieved results displayed the inhibition efficiency of the metal corrosion that was elevated by increasing both the SCGS's concentration and the applied temperature values. Furthermore, it was noticed that the charge transfer resistance value was elevated; however, the constant phase element was decreased with increasing the SCGS concentrations. The SCGS regards an excellent and mixed-type corrosion inhibitor. The adsorption of SCGS has agreed the Langmuir's adsorption isotherm and was related to physisorption and chemisorption.

Effect of Novel Quercetin Titanium Dioxide-Decorated Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite on Bacillus subtilis Biofilm Development

The present work was targeted to design a surface against cell seeding and adhering of bacteria, Bacillus subtilis. A multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nano-power was produced via simple mixing of carbon nanotube and titanium dioxide nanoparticles during the sol-gel process followed by heat treatment. Successfully, quercetin was immobilized on the nanocomposite via physical adsorption to form a quercetin/multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nanocomposite. The adhesion of bacteria on the coated-slides was verified after 24 h using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Results indicated that the quercetin/multi-walled carbon nanotube/titanium dioxide nanocomposite had more negativity and higher recovery by glass surfaces than its counterpart. Moreover, coating surfaces with the quercetin-modified nanocomposite lowered both hydrophilicity and surface-attached bacteria compared to surfaces coated with the multi-walled carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide nanocomposite.