Kinetic and equilibrium studies associated with the binding of surface-active agents to macromolecules

Abstract

The interactions between sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and several types of macromolecules were studied by means of equilibrium (pyrene monomer fluorescence) and kinetic (pressure-jump) experiments. Four types of systems have been examined, namely: SDS/poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP), a hydrocarbon-soluble polymer; SDS/poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG), a hydrocarbon-insoluble polymer; SDS/bovine serum albumin (BSA), a protein; SDS/polystyrene latex (PSL), a colloidal polymer. Together the equilibrium and kinetic experiments reveal a differing type of interaction mechanism in each case. PVP and PEG encourage and promote micelle formation by acting as nuclei for such aggregates with the micelles situated on and along the polymer chain. BSA and PSL, however, were found to leave the micellar association process relatively unaffected.