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Compaction of calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) by two cationic gemini surfactants, 12-4-12 and 12-8-12, in the absence and presence of negatively charged SiO 2 nanoparticles (NPs) (∼100 nm) has been explored using various techniques. 12-8-12 having a longer hydrophobic spacer induces a greater extent of ct-DNA compaction than 12-4-12, which becomes more efficient with SiO 2 NPs. While 50% ct-DNA compaction in the presence of SiO 2 NPs occurs at ∼77 nM of 12-8-12 and ∼130 nM of 12-4-12, but a conventional counterpart surfactant, DTAB, does it at its concentration as high as ∼7 μM. Time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy measurements show changes in the rotational dynamics of a fluorescent probe, DAPI, and helix segments in the condensed DNA. Fluorescence lifetime data and ethidium bromide exclusion assays reveal the binding sites of surfactants to ct-DNA. 12-8-12 with SiO 2 NPs has shown the highest cell viability (≥90%) and least cell death in the human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cell lines in contrast to the cell viability of ≤80% for DTAB. These results show that 12-8-12 with SiO 2 NPs has the highest time and dose-dependent cytotoxicity compared to 12-8-12 and 12-4-12 in the murine breast cancer 4T1 cell line. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry are performed for in vitro cellular uptake of YOYO-1-labeled ct-DNA with surfactants and SiO 2 NPs using 4T1 cells after 3 and 6 h incubations. The in vivo tumor accumulation studies are carried out using a real-time in vivo imaging system after intravenous injection of the samples into 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. 12-8-12 with SiO 2 has delivered the highest amount of ct-DNA in cells and tumors in a time-dependent manner. Thus, the application of a gemini surfactant with a hydrophobic spacer and SiO 2 NPs in compacting and delivering ct-DNA to the tumor is proven, warranting its further exploration in nucleic acid therapy for cancer treatment.

The present work highlights the effect of urea on solvation dynamics and the rotational relaxation of Coumarin 480 (C-480) in the Stern layer of aqueous micelles of cationic gemini surfactants, 12-4(OH) n -12 ( n = 0, 1, 2). UV-visible absorption, steady-state fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, and dynamic light scattering measurements have been carried out for this study. The formation of micelles becomes disfavored in the presence of urea at high concentration. Solvation dynamics is bimodal in nature with fast solvation as a major component. The average solvation time increases, reaches a maximum, and then decreases with increasing concentration of urea because the degree of counterion dissociation also follows the same order with the addition of urea in the micellar solution. With increased degree of counterion dissociation, the extent of clustering of water molecules is increased, resulting in slower solvation process. The -OH group present in the spacer group of gemini surfactant controls the rate of solvation by shielding the water molecules from the probe molecules forming hydrogen bond. The microviscosity of micelles is decreased with increasing concentration of urea, as a result of which the rotational relaxation process becomes faster. In the presence of the -OH group in the spacer group, the microviscosity of micelles is enhanced, resulting in longer rotational relaxation time. Rotational relaxation process is bimodal in nature with the major contribution from the fast component to the fluorescence depolarization. Slow rotational relaxation is mainly due to the lateral diffusion of C-480 molecules along the surface of the micelle. The tumbling motion of the micelle as a whole is much slower than the lateral diffusion of C-480. Wobbling motion of C-480 becomes faster with increasing concentration of urea as a result of decreased microviscosity of micelles. The alignment of C-480 molecules in micelles might change with changing microviscosity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of coumarin 480 in aqueous micelles of cationic gemini surfactants with diethyl ether (EE) spacer group ( m -EE- m ) and tails with varying tail lengths ( m = 12, 14, and 16) have been studied. Studies have been carried out by measuring UV-visible absorption, steady-state fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. Effects of hydrocarbon tail length and hydrophilicity of spacer group on solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation processes at inner side of the Stern layer of micelles have been studied. With increasing hydrophobicity of tails of surfactants, water molecules in the Stern layer become progressively more rigid, resulting in a decrease in the rate of solvation process with slow solvation as a major component. With increasing hydrophilicity of the spacer group of gemini surfactant, the extent of free water molecules is decreased, thereby making the duration of the solvation process longer. Solvation times in the micelles of gemini surfactants with hydrophilic spacer are almost 4 times longer compared to those in the micelles of their conventional counterpart. Rotational relaxation time increases with increasing tail length of surfactant as a result of increasing microviscosity of micelles with fast relaxation as a major component. With increasing hydrophilicity of the spacer group, the anisotropy decay becomes slower due to the formation of more compact micelles. Rotational relaxation in gemini micelles is also slower compared to that in their conventional counterpart. The anisotropy decay is found to be biexponential with lateral diffusion of the probe along the surface of the micelle as a slow component. Rotational motion of micelle as a whole is a very slow process, and the motion becomes further slower with increasing size of the micelle. The time constants for wobbling motion and lateral diffusion of the probe become longer with increasing microviscosity of micelles., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.