THE EFFECT OF HOFMEISTER SERIES COUNTERIONS ON THE COLLOIDAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF A TRIPLE-HEADED SINGLE-TAILED AMPHIPHILE

Antibacterial resistance is becoming increasingly prominent causing a great need for novel antibacterial products. Several series of novel amphiphilic molecules have been synthesized with promising antibacterial results. In an amphiphile series with three hydrophilic heads and one hydrophobic tail, a linear hydrocarbon chain with 18 carbons is more antibacterial than those with longer or shorter tails. Previously, this compound has been synthesized with three bromide counterions. In this work, a group of compounds with varying anionic Hofmeister series counterions have been prepared via ion exchange. Each new amphiphile in this series has three quaternary ammonium headgroups and an 18-carbon hydrophobic tail. The effects of varying the anionic counterions on antibacterial and colloidal properties will be reported. It was predicted that the presence of more chaotropic counterions within the series would lower the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) and increase the antimicrobial potency of the compound tested, and that more kosmotropic counterions would cause the opposite effect. A general trend of increasing critical aggregation concentration (CAC) with increasing kosmotropic nature of counterions has been observed. At this point no obvious trend between the Hofmeister series and the antibacterial potency have been observed, although significant changes in potency have been seen with varying ions. Funding for this project came from the Jeffrey E. Tickle ‘90 Endowment and NSF-REU (CHE-1461175).

Additional Abstract Information


Student(s): Kirstie A. Thompson

Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kevin Caran

Type: Oral

Year: 2016

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