Thin liquid films: Where hydrodynamics,capillarity, surface stresses and intermolecular forces meet

Thin liquid films arise in many technological applications and biological phenomena. They also present a fascinating object of study, because of a rich interplay between capillarity, hydrodynamics, interfacial transport phenomena and interfacial rheology, as well as the effects of interaction forces when films thin down to molecular thicknesses. Recent advances in experimental techniques have given further insights in the variety of physical phenomena, which can occur. These techniques are briefly reviewed. How these techniques can be utilised is illustrated by recent studies addressing the effect of interfacial rheological stresses on drainage, the interplay between capillarity and hydrodynamics during film retraction, and the solutocapillary stabilisation of films. Finally, we briefly discuss the challenges of conducting drainage measurements at high and varied capillary numbers and how these could be overcome by the combined use of experiments and simulations.     

Studies on droplet size distributions during coalescence in immiscible polymer blends filled with silica nanoparticles

The effect of silica nanoparticles on the morphology of （10/90 wt%） PDMS/PBD blends during the shear induced coalescence of droplets of the minor phase at low shear rate was investigated systematically in situ by using an optical shear technique. Two blending procedures were used： silica nanoparticles were introduced to the blends by pre-blending silica particles first in PDMS dispersed phase （procedure 1） or in PBD matrix phase （procedure 2）. Bimodal or unimodal droplet size distributions were observed for the filled blends during coalescence, which depend not so much on the surface characteristics of silica but mainly on blending procedure. For pure （10/90 wt%） PDMS/PBD blend, the droplet size distribution exhibits bimodality during the early coalescence. When silica nanoparticles （hydrophobic and hydrophilic） were added to the blends with procedure l, bimodal droplet size distributions disappear and unimodal droplet size distributions can be maintained during coalescence; the shape of the different peaks is invariably Gaussian. Simultaneously, coalescence of the PDMS droplets was suppressed efficiently by the silica nanoparticles. It was proposed that with this blending procedure the nanoparticles should be mainly kinetically trapped at the interface or in the PDMS dispersed phase, which provides an efficient steric barrier against coalescence of the PDMS dispersed phase. However, bimodal droplet size distributions in the early stage of coalescence still occur when incorporating silica nanoparticles into the blends with procedure 2, and then coalescence of the PDMS droplets cannot be suppressed efficiently by the silica nanoparticles. It was proposed that with this blending protocol the nanoparticles should be mainly located in the PBD matrix phase, which leads to an inefficient steric barrier against coalescence of the PDMS dispersed phase; thus the morphology evolution in these filled blends is similar to that in pure blend and bimodal droplet size distributions can be observed during the early coalescence. These results imply that exploiting non-equilibrium processes by varying preparation protocol may provide an elegant route to regulate the temporal morphology of the filled blends during coalescence.     

Numerical simulation of droplet coalescence behavior in gas phase under the coupling of electric field and flow field

The coalescence behavior of droplets in an electric field belongs to the important research contents of electrohydrodynamics. Based on the phase field method of the Cahn–Hilliard equation, the electric field and the flow field are coupled to establish the numerical model of twin droplet coalescence in a coupled field. The effects of flow rate, electric field strength, droplet diameter, and interfacial tension on the coalescence behavior of droplets during the coalescence process were investigated. The results show that the dynamic behavior of the droplets is divided into coalescence, after coalescence rupture, and no coalescence under the coupling of electric field and flow field. The proper increase of the electric field strength will accelerate the coalescence of the droplets, and the high electric field strength causes the droplets to burst after coalescence. Excessive flow rates make droplets less prone to coalescence. Under the coupling field, the larger the droplet interface tension, the smaller the droplet diameter, the smaller the flow rate, and the shorter the droplet coalescence time. The results provide a theoretical basis for the application of electrostatic coalescence in gas–liquid separation technology.     

Fabrication and development of interfacial polymerized thin-film composite nanofiltration membrane using different surfactants in organic phase; study of morphology and performance

The effects of addition of cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), non-ionic (Triton X-100) and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants in organic phase for preparing the composite nanofiltration membranes were investigated. The interfacial polymerization technique was employed by applying trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and piperazine (PIP) as the reagents for the preparation of poly(piperazineamide) on a UF support. The obtained thin layer membranes were placed in oven for 2 min at 70 °C. Water permeation performance, salt rejection, membrane surface charge, chemical structure and membrane morphology including top surface and cross-section were investigated for characterization of the prepared membranes using IR-ATR, SEM, filtration and zeta potential measurement. The prepared membranes using SDS showed higher flux compared to the other membranes. SEM surface images demonstrate some defects and cracks on the thin layer surface of the membrane prepared with SDS. For membrane containing CTAB, the salt rejection increased in the order of Na₂SO₄ > NaCl > MgCl₂ with variation around 50–90%.     

Beneficial role of surfactants in electrochemistry and in the modification of electrodes

This review deals with the beneficial use of surfactants in various fields of electrochemistry, in general and in the modification of electrodes with immobilized electroactive species, in particular. Special emphasis is laid on the modification of electrodes with metal hexacyanoferrates (MHCFs). After an introduction and brief notes on fundamentals of surfactants, and their applications in electrochemistry, covering some of the very important works in the past two decades involving beneficial use of surfactants, the article gives a brief account on metal hexacyanoferrate modified electrodes and the salient features of our published results on the beneficial role of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, in the modification of electrodes with MHCFs and their derivatized oxides, and with titanium dioxide.     

Influence of phosphonium-based ionic liquid on the micellization behavior of surfactants system and potential application in paracetamol drug aggregation

The current study examines the effects of a phosphonium-based ionic liquid, trihexyltetra-decylphosphonium bis-(2,4,4-trimethyl pentyl)phosphinate [THTDPP], on the micellization properties of surfactants, namely sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Triton X-100 by using the stalagmometry, viscosity, colorimetric, and FTIR methods. The surface adsorption parameters, such as CMC, γ_CMC, Γ_max, A_min, π_CMC, and _pC₂₀, were determined using the stalagmometry method. The results show that with the addition of different weight percentages of [THTDPP], the CMC and γ_CMC values decreased considerably in the following order: water >0.5 wt% of IL > 0.7 wt% of IL > 1.0 wt% of IL. The A_min values decreased with an increase in the wt% of IL for Triton X-100, but for SDS, this value increased. The _pC₂₀ was observed to be greater in Triton X-100 compared to SDS. The ability of [THTDPP] to decrease the CMC was found to be greater in Triton X-100 compared to SDS. The relative viscosity was calculated, and the first observation was made at the pre-CMC stage, where the concentration of SDS+0.7 wt% IL was 4.0 mM. The second finding was made post-CMC at a concentration of 5.0 mM. Afterward, the relative viscosity graph grew slowly and gradually. The functional groups involved in the complexation between [THTDPP] and both surfactants were examined using FTIR spectroscopy. Additionally, the micellar solutions of surfactants + [THTDPP] were used to explore Paracetamol [PCM] aggregation. The findings from UV–vis spectroscopy show that Triton X-100 exhibits the highest binding affinity and has the most encouraging effect compared to SDS.     

Mechanical properties of protein adsorption layers at the air/water and oil/water interface: A comparison in light of the thermodynamical stability of proteins

Over the last decades numerous studies on the interfacial rheological response of protein adsorption layers have been published. The comparison of these studies and the retrieval of a common parameter to compare protein interfacial activity are hampered by the fact that different boundary conditions (e.g. physico-chemical, instrumental, interfacial) were used. In the present work we review previous studies and attempt a unifying approach for the comparison between bulk protein properties and their adsorption films. Among many common food grade proteins we chose bovine serum albumin, β-lactoglobulin and lysozyme for their difference in thermodynamic stability and studied their adsorption at the air/water and limonene/water interface. In order to achieve this we have i) systematically analyzed protein adsorption kinetics in terms of surface pressure rise using a drop profile analysis tensiometer and ii) we addressed the interfacial layer properties under shear stress using an interfacial shear rheometer under the same experimental conditions. We could show that thermodynamically less stable proteins adsorb generally faster and yield films with higher shear rheological properties at air/water interface. The same proteins showed an analog behavior when adsorbing at the limonene/water interface but at slower rates.     

An analysis of the origin of coalescence suppression in compatibilized polymer blends

The course of the flow-induced coalescence and the effects of the Marangoni force and steric repulsion on the coalescence suppression in polymer blends containing a compatibilizer were analysed. The expression for coalescence probability of deformable droplets, reliably describing its dependence on the droplet size, was proposed. It was shown that a strong negative correlation exists between the Marangoni force and steric repulsion contributions and the decisive mechanism of the coalescence suppression cannot be determined from the dependence of coalescence on the shear rate. For prediction of the magnitude of the Marangoni force, the knowledge of the rate of copolymer diffusion along the interface is necessary. The influence of simultaneous collisions of three and more droplets and of droplet deformation in flow, which are not included in available theories, is discussed.     

Effect of alkaline materials on interfacial rheological properties of oil-water systems

Interfacial rheological properties of a model crude oil-water system were studied in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The interfacial viscosity, the non-Newtonian flow behavior and the activation energy of viscous flow were determined as a function of shear rate, alkali concentration and aging time. The fundamental conclusion of the experimental results is that the interfacial viscosity drastically decreases in the presence of alkaline materials and the change under favorable conditions may exceed 3 or 4 orders of magnitude. Simultaneously, the sodium hydroxide effectively suppresses the non-Newtonian flow behavior of the interfacial layer. The experimental observations are explained by simultaneous chemical processes taking place in the boundary layer. The present data may help to elucidate the formation, stability and breaking of alkali-containing oil-water emulsions and they provide additional information for better understanding of the displacement mechanism and for the formulation of alkaline flooding as a potential chemically enhanced oil-recovery method. Received: 6 April 1998 Accepted: 18 August 1998     

支状嵌段聚醚的界面聚集行为及对原油乳状液的破乳作用

合成了三种不同聚氧丙烯/聚氧乙烯(PPO/PEO)比例的含苯环支状嵌段聚醚, 通过界面张力、界面流变、表面压以及对原油乳状液的破乳脱水效果的测定, 考察了其界面聚集行为和破乳作用对PEO含量和分子量的依赖性, 并且对比研究了三种支状聚醚分子交联前后的破乳性能. 结果表明, PEO含量高且分子量大者,其单分子界面占据面积大, 在油/水界面达到吸附平衡的时间短, 其油/水界面扩张模量及扩张弹性均高于PEO含量较少者. 但是对原油乳状液的破乳脱水效果则是PEO含量居中的聚醚最好. 温度影响和交联与否的研究表明, 交联并不能提高分子量较大的聚醚对原油乳状液的破乳效果, 温度对聚醚分子交联前后的破乳效果有不同的影响规律. 本研究可为原油集输过程中化学品的选择与应用提供一定的依据.     

Dilatational properties and morphology of surface films spread from clinically used lung surfactants

The dilatational properties, structure, and morphology of the surface films spread at the air–water interface from complex lipid/protein systems were studied by measuring the surface pressure–area and surface potential–area isotherms, the surface rheological properties, and AFM images. The commercially available lung surfactants Alveofact, Curosurf, Survanta, and Exosurf were used as examples.The isotherms of the studied lung surfactant surface films are compared with model lipid and protein monolayers spread from bulk solutions. On the basis of a simple rheological model, the values for the elasticity and the specific time of relaxation related to the reorganization processes occurring in the monolayers were calculated. The spread films of natural surfactants Curosurf and Alveofact show a high effectiveness of spreading and respreading under the conditions of this study. These observations were confirmed by AFM imaging.     

Effects of a phospholipid cosurfactant on external coalescence in water-in-oil-in-water double-emulsion globules

The activated form of N-glutaryl-phosphatidylethanolamine (aNGPE) has been incorporated into water-in-oil-in-water (W₁/O/W₂) double-emulsion globules. Preparation of individual globules within a cylindrical capillary and video microscopy of their behavior enabled determination of the rate of coalescence of internal aqueous droplets (W₁) with the external aqueous phase (W₂), termed external coalescence. The presence of Tween 80 in the external phase at concentrations of 0.01 and 0.012 M effected such coalescence. The concentration of Span 80 in the oil phase exceeded that of aNGPE considerably, with the ratio of Span 80 to aNGPE molecules ranging from 60 to 1363. Despite the low relative concentration of aNGPE, external coalescence of the internal droplets was prolonged in globules containing this cosurfactant as compared to globules containing only Span 80. Increasing the amount of phospholipid in the oil phase did not significantly affect the rate of release, indicating that within our range of concentrations (22.0–91.3 μM) there was little variation in the amount of phospholipid adsorbing at the interface. These results indicate that, in addition to its suitable protein-binding functionality, aNGPE can prolong the release of internal droplets in a W₁/O/W₂ globule; its use as a cosurfactant shows potential benefits for drug-delivery applications.     

Polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures in the bulk and at water/oil interfaces

Stabilization of emulsions by mixed polyelectrolyte/surfactant systems is a prominent example for the application in modern technologies. The formation of complexes between the polymers and the surfactants depends on the type of surfactant (ionic, non-ionic) and the mixing ratio. The surface activity (hydrophilic–lipophilic balance) of the resulting complexes is an important quantity for its efficiency in stabilizing emulsions. The interfacial adsorption properties observed at liquid/oil interfaces are more or less equivalent to those observed at the aqueous solution/air interface, however, the corresponding interfacial dilational and shear rheology parameters differ quite significantly. The interfacial properties are directly linked to bulk properties, which support the picture for the complex formation of polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures, which is the result of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. For long alkyl chain surfactants the interfacial behavior is strongly influenced by hydrophobic interactions while the complex formation with short chain surfactants is mainly governed by electrostatic interactions.     

Reaction rates as a function of scale within ionic liquids: microscale in droplet microreactors versus macroscale reactions in the case of the Grieco three-component condensation reaction

Task-specific ionic liquids (TSILs) and more specifically binary task-specific ionic liquids (BTSILs), a unique subclass, have been shown to be excellent supports for solution-phase chemistry. The negligible volatility of ionic liquids enables their use as stable droplet microreactors in atmospheric environments without oil protection or confinement. These droplets can be moved, merged and mixed by electrowetting on a chip. Solution-phase synthesis can be performed on these open digital microfluidic labs-on-a-chip as illustrated by a study of the Grieco three-component reaction in [tmba][NTf(2)]-droplet (tmba=N-trimethyl-N-butylammonium NTf(2)=bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) microreactors. A detailed study of matrices and scale effects on conversion and kinetic rates of this three-component condensation is presented in this paper. Reactions have been shown to be slower in droplets than in batches in the absence of additional mixing. Also, a significant influence of the ionic-liquid matrix has been observed. Finally, an increase of droplet's temperature resulted in a kinetics enhancement so as to reach macroscale reaction rates, probably because of a much better mixing of reaction's components involving a Marangoni's effect.     

The rheology of lupin seed (Lupinus albus ssp. graecus) protein isolate films at the corn oil–water interface

Lupin seed protein isolates adsorbed at the corn oil–water interface formed, after long ageing times, interfacial films with viscoelastic properties. The viscoelastic parameters of the films, derived by analysis of creep compliance–time curves, were markedly influenced by the aqueous phase protein concentrations, pH, ageing time and isolate preparation methods. Instantaneous elastic modulus, E₀(s), showed maxima at a certain concentration which probably corresponded to monolayer saturation coverage and at pH 5.5, i.e. near to its isoelectric point, where the protein molecules are in a more compact form than at other pH values. The full fat lupin seed protein fractions gave the highest viscoelasticity values under all conditions and this in turn have an effect on the corresponding emulsion/foam stability.     

Influence of the presence of surfactants and humic acid in waters on the indophenol-type reaction method for ammonium determination

This work has evaluated the influence of humic acid and/or surfactants in the quantification of ammonium in waters with the indophenol-type reaction method. Thymol has been employed with the colorimetric method for sample ammonium concentrations between 0.25 and 1 mg L⁻¹. In addition, SPE/diffuse reflectance method has been used for quantification of ammonium at low concentrations (between 0.025 and 0.25 mg L⁻¹). Matrix effect owing to humic substances were observed with the colorimetric method when the concentration was equal or higher than 25 mg L⁻¹. Lower concentrations of humic compounds produced matrix effects with the more sensitive SPE/diffuse reflectance method. Generalized H-point standard addition method (GHPSAM) was employed for evaluating the effect of humic acids and for eliminating the bias error produced by humic acids. Real water samples of different types were analyzed and accurate results for ammonium concentration were obtained with both procedures in presence or absence of humic acids. Cationic and anionic surfactants inhibited the derivatization reaction at percentages up to 0.001% and 0.5%, respectively, and non-ionic surfactants at percentages of 5.5%     

Separation and determination of non-ionic surfactants of the nonylphenol polyglycol ether type by liquid chromatography

A normal-phase method for the separation and determination of non-ionic surfactants of the 4-nonylphenol polyglycol ether (NPEO) type by liquid chromatography is described, based on a LiChrosorb-Diol column and nonpolar linear gradient elution, with spectrophotometric detection at 275 nm. The method was applied to the determination of NPEO oligomers in the technical surfactants Arkopal N-20, N-40, N-60 and N-100 and in aqueous solutions from flotation processes. The relative standard deviations were 2.47–5.62%. The detection limits for nonylphenol polyglycol ether with 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13 and 15 ethoxy units were 51, 57, 64, 74, 85, 118 and 132 ng, respectively. The method can also be used for the determination of other alkylphenol polyglycol ethers. Reversed-phase LC with an octadecylsilica column was investigated and can be applied to the identification of the alkyl group present.     

On the feasibility of chemical reactions in the presence of siloxane-based surfactants

Siloxane-containing surfactants have been tested as stabilizers for the preparation of polymer nanoparticles by three types of chemical reactions. Two crosslinking reactions were used to obtain silicone elastomers particles: one involved HO-terminated polydimethylsiloxane and tetraethoxysilane, while the other one was a crosslinking via polyhydrosilylation. The third reaction was a linear polycondensation between a diamine and a siloxane dialdehyde. The monitoring of the reactions has been made by infrared spectroscopy and the resulting particles have been analyzed in dispersion by light scattering and in dry state by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The particles size was of hundreds of nanometers and their spherical shape was generally maintained after drying. The spectral and microscopy data proved efficient stabilization, which allowed the reactions to evolve after the formation of the particles.     

Selectivity in micellar catalysed reactions: The role of interfacial dipole,compartmentalisation, and specific interactions with the surfactants

Micellar catalysis is playing a major role in green chemistry with ever increasing applications in the efficient and sustainable preparation of natural compounds, drugs, and more recently organic semiconductors for printed electronics. Most of the contributions in the field focus on the developments of surfactants and suitable formulative conditions capable of reproducing – and often improving – the yield of reactions commonly performed in organic solvents. The real ambition of the micellar catalysis approach goes beyond the improvement in the sustainability of existing methods and aims at mimicking not only the efficiency but also the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis. This review summarizes relevant examples of micellar catalysis enabled, efficient, and selective transformations, and discusses the different kind of processes impacting on the product distribution depending on the details of the formulative state achieved.