Synthesis of Sulfur-Based Biocompatible Nonionic Surfactants and Their Nano-Vesicle Drug Delivery

Nonionic surfactants are capable of forming nano-range vesicles upon self-assembling in an aqueous medium. These vesicles are highly stable, low in toxicity, and cost-effective. Owing to their ability to solubilize both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances, they are of great interest for drug solubilization and delivery. This study describes the synthesis and characterization of two new nonionic surfactants and their screening for biocompatibility and drug loading potentials in nano-scale niosomal vesicles. They were characterized through mass spectroscopy, 1HNMR, and FT-IR. Their critical micelle concentration (CMC) was investigated using UV–vis spectrophotometry. The biocompatibility study was carried out through blood hemolysis and in vitro cytotoxicity assays. The surfactants have very low CMC values, are highly hemo-compatible, and were nontoxic when tested against a cell culture. They were able to form nano-range niosomal vesicles with large variation in their size. Both new surfactants were able to encapsulate increased amounts of the drug, in this case clarithromycin. The chemical nature of the drug remained intact in the niosomal vesicles. The results suggest that these nonionic surfactants could be promising drug delivery vehicles.