title: Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of hydrophilically functionalized polygalacturonic acid.
abstract: Microwave-assisted synthesis of a new class of polymeric surfactants based on polygalacturonic acid (PGA) is presented. PGA is water-insoluble and not surface-active under normal conditions. Single-step hydrophilic modification of PGA with taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid) renders it surface-active. The modification can be carried out either using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDCl) as a coupling agent or using microwave irradiation without a catalyst. Microwave irradiation significantly shortens reaction times and eliminates the need for a coupling agent. In all cases, functionalization was confirmed using1H NMR, FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. PGA-SO3exhibits surface-active properties comparable to commercial surfactants, Triton X-100 and sodium lauryl sulfate. Detailed cytotoxicity evaluation performed using human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human leukemic (HL-60) cell lines indicate that PGA-SO3is not toxic even at 20 fold higher concentrations. These polymeric surfactants synthesized from PGA with no demonstrable cytotoxicity have the potential for serving as 'greener' alternatives to common petrochemical-based surfactants.
authors.affiliation: Renewable Materials Laboratory, Center for Advanced Materials, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA; Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Zarif Farhana
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Mohd Aris
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bouldin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Margery G H
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaines
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
authors.forename: Bridgette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Budhlall
authors.affiliation: Renewable Materials Laboratory, Center for Advanced Materials, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA; Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA. Electronic address: Ramaswamy_nagarajan@uml.edu.
authors.forename: Ramaswamy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagarajan
keywords: Detergency; Macromolecule; Microwave-catalyzed; Pectic acid; Polysaccharide-based surfactant