Aqueous compositions comprising solubilzed lipo-chitooligosaccharides
The present disclosure provides aqueous solutions comprising one or more solubilized LCOs, as well as methods of deagglomerating, emulsifying and solubilizing LCOs in aqueous solutions.
1. A method of solubilizing lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO) molecules in an aqueous solvent, said method comprising:
contacting said LCO molecules with an anionic surfactant comprising a carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, or sulfonate head and a linear hydrocarbon tail that is at least 8 carbons in length in an amount/concentration sufficient to reduce and/or prevent agglomeration of said LCO molecules; and
contacting said LCO molecules with a nonionic surfactant comprising a hydrocarbon chain and an ethoxylate chain in an amount/concentration sufficient to form micelles comprising said LCO molecules,
wherein at least 75% of said LCO molecules are solubilized within micelles capable of passing through a filter having an average pore size of 0.22 microns.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl sulfonate.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl sulfate.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said nonionic surfactant is an alcohol ethoxylate.
5. An aqueous lipo-chitooligosaccharide (LCO) solution, comprising:
an aqueous solvent;
LCO molecules;
an anionic surfactant comprising a carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, or sulfonate head and a linear hydrocarbon tail that is at least 8 carbons in length, said anionic surfactant present in an amount/concentration sufficient to reduce and/or prevent agglomeration of said LCO molecules; and
a nonionic surfactant present comprising a hydrocarbon chain and an ethoxylate chain, said nonionic surfactant present in an amount/concentration sufficient to form micelles comprising at least a portion of said LCO molecules,
wherein at least 75% of said LCO molecules are solubilized within micelles capable of passing through a filter having an average pore size of 0.22 microns.
6. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl sulfonate.
7. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl sulfate.
8. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said nonionic surfactant is an alcohol ethoxylate.
9. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant and said nonionic surfactant are present at a ratio of about 75:25 to about 85:15.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkylbenzene sulfonate.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl(C 10 - 16 ) benzene sulfonate.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is a decyl sulfate or a dodecyl sulfate.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkylbenzene sulfonate and wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl(C 10-16 )benzene sulfonate and wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
16. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkylbenzene sulfonate.
17. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl (C 10-16 ) benzene sulfonate.
18. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is a decyl sulfate or a dodecyl sulfate.
19. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
20. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkylbenzene sulfonate and wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
21. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant is an alkyl(C 10-16 )benzene sulfonate and wherein said nonionic surfactant is an isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate.
22. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said anionic surfactant comprises about 0.1% to about 0.5% of said aqueous LCO solution (by weight, based upon the total weight of said aqueous LCO solution).
23. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein said non-ionic surfactant comprises about 0.01% to about 0.1% of said aqueous LCO solution (by weight, based upon the total weight of said aqueous LCO solution).
24. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein at least 70% of said LCO molecules are localized in said micelles.
25. The aqueous LCO solution of claim 5 , wherein at least 90% of said LCO molecules are localized in said micelles.