Adsorption of tricarboxylic acid biosurfactant derived from spiculisporic acid on titanium dioxide surface

In the present study, adsorption isotherms of a polycarboxylic-acid-type biosurfantant, the sodium salt of (2-(2-carboxyethyl)-3-decyl maleic anhydride) (DCMA-3Na), on TiO₂, zeta potential, and changes in particle aggregate size as a function of biosurfactant concentration, solid-liquid ratio and pH were systematically investigated. The adsorption of DCMA-3Na on the surface of TiO₂ shows a relatively weak dependence on pH, unlike the adsorption behavior of chemically-synthesized surfactants. Adsorption of DCMA-3Na still occurs at pH above the isoelectric points of TiO₂ due to the buffering capacity, which is due to three carboxylate functional groups in the hydrophilic moiety of DCMA-3Na. Since DCMA-3Na has three anionic head groups, the zeta potential of TiO₂ at pH 3 decreases very steeply from positive to negative values as the surface charges are neutralized by the adsorption of biosurfactants. Trends in zeta potentials as a function of equilibrium DCMA-3Na concentration are quite closely related to the changes in flocculation of individual TiO₂ particles.