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arXiv · 2306.14612

Self-Assembly of Rhamnolipids Bioamphiphiles: Understanding Structure-Properties Relationship using Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Niki Baccile·Alexandre Poirier·Javier Perez·Petra Pernot·Patrick Legriel·Christian C. Blesken·Conrad Müller·Lars Blank·Till Tiso
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Abstract

The structure-properties relationship of rhamnolipids, RLs, well known microbial bioamphiphiles (biosurfactants), is exlored in detail by coupling cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and both ex situ and in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The self-assembly of three RLs with reasoned variation of their molecular structure (RhaC10, RhaC10C10 and RhaRhaC10C10) and a rhamnose-free C10C10 fatty acid is studied in water as a function of pH. It is found that RhaC10 and RhaRhaC10C10 form micelles in a broad pH range and RhaC10C10 undergoes a micelle-to-vesicle transition from basic to acid pH occurring at pH 6.5. Modelling coupled to fitting SAXS data allows a good estimation of the hydrophobic core radius (or length), the hydrophilic shell thickness, the aggregation number and the surface area per RL. The essentially micellar morphology found for RhaC10 and

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Niki Baccile, Alexandre Poirier, Javier Perez, Petra Pernot, Patrick Legriel, Christian C. Blesken, Conrad Müller, Lars Blank, Till Tiso. 2023-06-26. Self-Assembly of Rhamnolipids Bioamphiphiles: Understanding Structure-Properties Relationship using Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering. https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.14612

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