Effects of molecular structure on surfactin micellization activity

Abstract

We produced a group of surfactin isoforms using Bacillus subtilis HSO121. The micellization activity properties such as surface and interfacial tensions, micropolarity, micelle size distribution and morphology of this group of surfactin micellar solutions were investigated by surface and interfacial tension, fluorescence, dynamic light-scattering (DLS), and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) measurements. With an increase in the chain length, we found that the surface and interfacial activities of the surfactins increased and the surfactins tended to form larger micelle aggregates. © Editorial office of Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica.