Use of dynamic light scattering and small‐angle X‐ray scattering to characterize new surfactants in solution conditions for membrane‐protein crystallization

The structural and interactive properties of two novel hemifluorinated surfactants, F2H9-beta-M and F4H5-beta-M, the syntheses of which were based on the structure and hydrophobicity of the well known dodecyl-beta-maltoside (DD-beta-M), are described. The shape of their micellar assemblies was characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering and their intermicellar inter-actions in crystallizing conditions were measured by dynamic light scattering. Such information is essential for surfactant phase-diagram determination and membrane-protein crystallization.