Adsorption and Membranotropic Properties of Colloid Systems Based on Cationic Amphiphiles: the Effect of the Head Group Structure

The aggregation characteristics of cationic amphiphiles with a hexadecyl radical and a variable head group in aqueous solutions were evaluated and their adsorption parameters were calculated. A transition from ammonium to imidazolium head group makes micelle formation and adsorption thermodynamically favorable. The structure of the head group was shown to play key role in the ability of surfactant molecules to be embedded in the lipid bilayer. The ability of some amphiphiles to increase the membranotropic ability of the drugs metronidazole and chloramphenicol was demonstrated.