Characterization and Analysis of SDS Micelles for The Preparation of Nanotemplated Hydrogels

Abstract

Hydrogels are porous water-filled networks of polymer chains that are currently being investigated for a wide range of applications in biotechnology. They inherently display desirable mechanical and transport characteristics, and there is a large body of experimental work being done to optimize these properties. The cross-linked structure of hydrogels creates a porous network that could be tuned to fit many specific characteristics for a given function of the material. Researchers have attempted to use nano-templating agents to control porosity through the incorporation and subsequent removal of a “filler” with the desired size and shape. Micelles are spherical aggregates of detergent molecules that have the potential of modifying the nanostructure of the porous gel media. The objective of this study is to establish a set of procedures for a full characterization of the size and stability of SDS micelles. The research focuses on development of experimental techniques and improved mathematical tools for calculating the diameter, zeta potential, and aggregation number of an SDS micelle. The significance of this project relates to improving protein separations vital to clinical diagnostics and could likely be extended to other applications in bioengineering.