Role of an amide bond for self-assembly of surfactants

Self-assembly in solution and adsorption at the air-water interface and at solid surfaces were investigated for two amino-acid-based surfactants with conductimetry, NMR, tensiometry, quartz crystal microbalance with monitoring of the dissipation (QCM-D), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The surfactants studied were sodium N-lauroylglycinate and sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate, differing only in a methyl group on the amide nitrogen for the sarcosinate. Thus, the glycinate but not the sarcosinate surfactant is capable of forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds via the amide group. It was found that the amide bond, N-methylated or not, gave a substantial contribution to the hydrophilicity of the amphiphile. The ability to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds led to tighter packing at the air-water interface and at a hydrophobic surface. It also increased the tendency for precipitation as an acid-soap pair on addition of acid. Adsorption of the surfactants at a gold surface was also investigated and gave unexpected results. The sarcosine-based surfactant seemed to give bilayer adsorption, while the glycine derivative adsorbed as a monolayer.