Dynamic Behavior of Surfactants in Solution

Adsorption of various surfactants at the gas liquid interface is studied with equilibrium and dynamic surface tension measurements. The Wilhelmey plate method and maximum bubble pressure method are used for this study. Dynamic surface tension of solutions of different surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), polyoxyethylene glycol 4‐tert‐octyl phenyl ether (Triton X 100), poly‐oxyethylene(20) cetyl ether (Brij 58), and tetraethylene glycol mono‐n‐dodecyl ether (Brij 30), is measured at different concentrations. Adsorption of different surfactants is compared on the basis of equilibrium and dynamic behavior. Effectiveness and efficiency of different surfactants is found from equilibrium surface tension measurement. A new parameter is defined to quantify the dynamic behavior of adsorption, which gives the concentration of surfactant needed to reduce surface tension to half of its maximum reduction within a defined time available for adsorption. The dynamics of surfactant solution is quantified by using this parameter.     

Dynamic surface tension of micellar solutions studied by the maximum bubble pressure method. 1. Experiment

The effect of the micelles on the dynamic surface tension of micellar surfactant solutions is studied experimentally by means of the maximum bubble pressure method. Different frequencies of bubbling ranging approximately between 1 and 30 s^–1 are applied. The time dependence of the surface tension is calculated using a dead time correction. Water solutions of two types of surfactants with different concentrations are investigated: sodium dodecyl sulfate and nonylphenol polyglycol ether. The surface tension relaxes more quickly in the presence of micelles. The characteristic times of relaxation of the surface tension seem to be in the millisecond range. The time constants observed experimentally are explained in terms of the theory of surfactant diffusion affected by micellization kinetics.     

Dispersing carbon nanotubes in aqueous solutions by a silicon surfactant: Experimental and molecular dynamics simulation study

The dispersion effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aqueous solutions by a silicon surfactant (ethoxy modified trisiloxane, named Ag-64) was investigated in detail using experimental method and molecular dynamics simulation. The Si–O–Si chain of silicon surfactant was flexible due to long Si–C bond and it could easily wrap onto the surface of CNTs through hydrophobic and other intermolecular interactions. The hydrophilic part of PEO provided the CNTs dispersed in the aqueous solution and prevented CNTs from aggregating in water through steric stabilization. It was found that Ag-64 could disperse CNTs with different diameters and it was an effective dispersing agent. The results of molecular dynamics simulation indicated that Ag-64 molecules could wrap onto the surface of CNTs leading to steric stabilization so that it could well disperse CNTs, and Van der Waals attraction was the dominating force of Ag-64 adsorbing onto CNTs. Our study may provide experimental and theoretical basis for using silicon surfactants to disperse CNTs, which can open the avenue of new applications for silicon surfactants.     

Surface tension and adsorption behavior of mixtures of diacyl glycerol arginine-based surfactants with DPPC and DMPC phospholipids

The binary surface interactions of some novel cationic diacyl glycerol arginine-based surfactants with model phospholipids, which are often used as model membrane components, are studied at 25 °C in aqueous solutions of 0.1 M sodium chloride. The surfactants are 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero-3-O-(N^α-acetyl-l-arginine) hydrochloride (1414RAc) and 1,2-dilauroyl-rac-glycero-3-O-(N^α-acetyl-l-arginine) hydrochloride (1212RAc), and they are important as potential antimicrobial agents which are biodegradable and with less toxicity than other cationic surfactants. The phospholipids are 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC). The equilibrium and dynamic surface tension of each surfactant, each phospholipid, and some of their binary mixtures are studied using the bubble surfactometry method at constant area or pulsating area conditions. In addition, the surface densities of pure and mixed monolayers of these compounds at the air/water interface are probed with infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). Steady state and dynamic surface tension synergism, or antisynergism in one case, and synergistic adsorption effects are detected for the mixed dispersions studied. The enhanced adsorption detected with IRRAS, and the enhanced dynamic and steady state surface tension lowering indicate strong miscibility and net attractive interactions between the compounds in the adsorbed mixed monolayers.     

Effect of Neck Formation on the Measurement of Dynamic Interfacial Tension in a Drop Volume Tensiometer

Dynamic interfacial tension values obtained by drop volume tensiometry will be affected under certain experimental conditions by the formation of a neck between the drop and the capillary tip. This phenomenon must be accounted for to obtain accurate values of interfacial tension. In this work, neck formation for a water–mineral oil system is studied under conditions where hydrodynamic effects can be neglected. A model originally developed for the determination of the surface tension of a suspended drop is modified for application to dynamic interfacial tensions of surfactant-containing liquids. The model relates apparent values of interfacial tension calculated from drops possessing necks to actual values. Experiments with Span 80 (sorbitan monooleate) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactants in a mineral oil–water system are used to test the validity of the developed model. For the small tip diameter used, good agreement is obtained for Span 80 up to the critical micelle concentration, and for low concentrations of SDS, when the surfactant adsorption is diffusion-limited. In both cases, the neck diameter of the growing drop can be considered constant over the range of dynamic interfacial tensions tested.     

Studies on the Physicochemical Properties of 3-Alkoxyl-2-hydroxypropyl Trimethylammonium Chloride–Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate Binary-Surfactant Aqueous Systems

Surface tension, micelle formation, surface adsorption, and solubilization of dimethylaminoazobenzene (DMAB) are studied in aqueous solutions of 3-alkoxyl-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (alkoxyl = C_nH_2n+1O, n = 8, 12, 14, 16), of sodium dodecyl sulfonate, and of mixtures of these cationic surfactants and the anionic surfactant at 40°C. Synergistic effects on micelle formation, surface tension reduction, and solubilization enhancement of DMAB are observed in the cationic–anionic mixed surfactant systems. The experimental results are discussed in the light of the interactions between the two kinds of surfactant ions.     

The dynamic effects of surfactants on droplet formation in coaxial microfluidic devices

Droplet emulsification in microfluidic devices involves the constant formation of fresh interfaces between two immiscible fluids. When the multiphase system contains surfactant, dynamic mass transfer of the surfactant onto the interface results in a dynamic interfacial tension different from the static interfacial tension measured in an equilibrium state. In this work, we have systematically investigated the effects of surfactant concentration and type on the dynamic interfacial tension of two different liquid-liquid two phase systems [N-hexane/water-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and N-hexane/water-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)] rapidly producing relatively small droplets in coaxial microfluidic devices. Dynamic interfacial tension experiments using the pendent drop method and a tensiometer were conducted, and a semiempirical equation was developed to put into context the effects of surfactants and the experimental conditions on droplet formation and dynamic interfacial tension in dynamic microchannel flows. The results presented in this work provide a more in-depth understanding of the dynamic effects of surfactants on droplet formation and the precise controllable preparation of monodispersed droplets in microfluidic devices.     

Correlation between surface free energy of quartz and its wettability by aqueous solutions of nonionic, anionic and cationic surfactants

The measurements of the advancing contact angle for water, glycerol, diiodomethane and aqueous solutions of Triton X-100 (TX-100), Triton X-165 (TX-165), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDDS), sodium hexadecyl sulfonate (SHDS), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cetylpyridinium bromide (CPyB) on quartz surface were carried out. On the basis of the contact angles values obtained for water, glycerol and diiodomethane the values of the Lifshitz–van der Waals component and electron-acceptor and electron-donor parameters of the acid–base component of the surface free energy of quartz were determined. The determined components and parameters of the quartz surface free energy were used for interpretation of the influence of nonionic, anionic and cationic surfactants on the wettability of the quartz. From obtained results it was appeared that the wettability of quartz by nonionic and anionic surfactants practically does not depend on the surfactants concentration in the range corresponding to their unsaturated monolayer at water–air interface and that there is linear dependence between adhesional and surface tension of aqueous solution of these surfactants. This dependence for TX-100, TX-165, SDDS and SHDS can be expressed by lines which slopes are positive. This slope and components of quartz surface free energy indicate that the interaction between the water molecules and quartz surface might be stronger than those between the quartz and surfactants molecules. So, the surface excess of surfactants concentration at the quartz–water interface is probably negative, and the possibility of surfactants to adsorb at the quartz/water film–water interface is higher than at the quartz–water interface. This conclusion is confirmed by the values of the adhesion work of “pure” surfactants, aqueous solutions of surfactants and water to quartz surface. In the case of the cationic surfactants the relationship between adhesional and surface tension is more complicated than that for nonionic and anionic surfactants and indicates that the relationship between the adsorption of the cationic surfactant at water–air and quartz–water interface depends on the concentration of the surfactants in the bulk phase.     

Adsorption and Micellization in Solutions of Dodecylpyridinium Bromide–Nonionic Surfactant Mixtures

Dependences of the surface tension of aqueous solutions of cationic (dodecylpyridinium bromide) and nonionic (Tween 80, Triton X-100) surfactants and their mixtures on total surfactant concentration and solution composition were studied. The values of critical micellization concentration (CMC) and excess free energy of adsorption were determined from tensiometric measurements. Based on Rubingh–Rosen model (approximation of the theory of regular solutions), the compositions of micelles and adsorption layers at the solution–air interface as well as parameters of interaction between the molecules of cationic and nonionic surfactants were calculated for the systems indicated above. It was established that, in the case of surfactant mixtures with considerable difference in the CMCs, the micelles of individual surfactant with lower CMC value are formed. The effect of negative deviation from the ideality during the adsorption of surfactants from mixed solutions at the solution–air interface was disclosed. It was shown that the interaction energy depends significantly on the composition of mixed systems.     

Surface Tension, Heat Capacity, and Volume of Amphiphilic Compounds in Formamide Solutions

Density measurements of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium decyl sulfate (SDeS), sodium octyl sulfate(SOS), and sodium hexyl sulfate(SHS) in formamide (FA) as functions of the surfactant concentrations were carried out at 25°C. For SDS in FA, additional density measurements at 35 and 60°C and surface tension and specific heat capacity measurements at 25°C were also performed. From density and specific heat capacity data, the apparent molar volume and heat capacity of the surfactants as functions of concentration were calculated. The surface excess of SDS at the solution–air interface was also determined from the surface tension measurements using the Gibbs adsorption equation. Under our experimental conditions, none of the experimental results evidence micelle formation. In addition, volumetric studies of the hexanol–SDS–FA ternary system at 25°C evidence only interactions between the dispersed surfactant and alcohol.     

A model for simulating the dynamic surface tension behavior of aqueous surfactant dispersions

A dynamic adsorption model for surface-active materials at air/liquid interfaces with the consideration of aggregate dissolution effect was developed to investigate the dynamic surface tension behavior of aqueous surfactant dispersions. Two catanionic surfactants, cetylpyridinium dodecylsulfate (CP-DS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium dodecylsulfate (DTMA-DS), with low critical aggregation concentrations were chosen as model systems. Dynamic surface tensions of aqueous CP-DS and DTMA-DS systems were measured by a drop volume tensiometer. A model with diffusion-controlled or mixed-kinetic dynamic adsorption mechanisms considering the dissolution effect of dispersed aggregates was developed to simulate the dynamic surface tension data. An analysis by comparing the model predictions with experimental data demonstrated that the dynamic surface tension behavior of aqueous CP-DS and DTMA-DS dispersions could be described with a diffusion-controlled dynamic adsorption model taking the aggregate dissolution effect into account.     

Effect of Aqueous Phase pH on the Dynamic Interfacial Tension of Acidic Crude Oils and Myristic Acid in Dodecane

The time dependence of the interfacial tension between water–acidic crude oil and water–synthetic oil was investigated for aqueous phase pHs ranging from 2 to 9 using the du Noüy ring method at 20°C. Myristic acid in dodecane was selected as a model (synthetic oil) for acidic crude oil containing indigenous surfactants, and the similarities and differences between the dynamic interfacial tension behaviours of the natural and synthetic crude oil systems were compared. The initial interfacial tension and the relaxation of the interfacial tension are sensitive to the aqueous phase pH for both systems. The adsorption kinetics of the indigenous surfactants and myristic acid could be well fitted with the monoexponential model, and the time constants obtained in this manner indicates that reorganization of the indigenous surfactants and myristic acid at the w/o interface are pH dependent. The experimental results also indicate that indigenous surfactants in acidic crude oil and myristic acid in dodecane have similar film formation behaviours at the w/o interface for the range of pHs investigated.     

A Review of:“Lipid and Biopolymer Monolayers at Liquid Interfaces.” K,S. Birdi. Plenum,New York &London, 1989. pp. x + 325. $59.50

A procedure for using a standard image analysis system to assess the dynamic surface tension at air/liquid interface using the oscillating jet method was developed. The application is demonstrated by experimental data obtained from milk and from three different concentrations of commercial nonionic surfactants solutions (Tween 20 and Tween 80) of surface ages from 2 to 9 milliseconds.     

Investigation Static/Dynamic Surface and Interfacial Tension of Some Synthesized Polymeric Surfactants to Enhance the Egyptian Jet Fuel A1 Atomization

In the present work some exthoxylated polyalkylphenol surfactants have different alkyl chains (nonyl and dodecyl) were synthesized. The static surface tension for these surfactants in water and jet fuel A1 was measured and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) for each surfactant was determined. The data show the general trend of decreasing the CMC against the molecular weight of the synthesized polymeric surfactants. The HLB of these surfactants was also calculated. The dynamic surface tension for the synthesized surfactants was measured at CMC. The dynamic interfacial tension for these surfactants with jet fuel A1 at CMC was also measured using the spinning drop technique. The results showed that the effect of the synthesized surfactants on deceasing the time of droplet maturation was significant remarked. The decrease of this time leads to enhance of jet fuel atomization.     

相转移催化反应中界面性能的研究

过去在研究相转移催化反应机理时仅考虑在相转移催化剂作用下反应物、中间体(离子)、产物在两相间的转移,并导致两相间反应进行。我们以研究结果证明水相的表面能和两相的界面能与相转移催化反应的结果有密切关系。     

Synthesis and properties of cationic surfactants with tuned hydrophylicity

A series of pyridinium-based cationic surfactants has been synthesised and their amphiphilic properties have been studied by conductivity and surface tension measurements. The modification of the substitution pattern on the pyridinium ring by hydrophobic moieties (methyl vs. hydrogen and presence or not of condensed benzene ring) gave the opportunity to investigate structure–activity relationships. Characterization by conductivity and surface tension measurements shed light on the behaviour at the air/water interface and in the micellar environment. In particular, the tendency to form ion pairs at very low concentration was evidenced for all the surfactants substituted on the ring, but not for the simple pyridinium ones. The formation of ion pairs affects both the conductivity and the surface tension plots, showing that a series of steps is involved during the adsorption to the air/water surface. An attempt was made to qualify the single steps in the adsorption at the surface layer. Those steps were attributed to different chemical species (free surfactant ions or ion pairs) and to different arrangements of the surfactant. This work also represents a contribution of investigation at very low surfactant concentrations and high surface tension values.     

Surface properties of mixtures of surface-active sugar derivatives with ionic surfactants: theoretical and experimental investigations

Surface properties of systems that are mixtures of ionic surfactants and sugar derivatives-anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate and n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (SDS/DM) and cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and n-dodecyl-beta-D-glucoside (DTABr/DG)-were investigated. The experimental results obtained from measurements of surface tension of mixtures with various ratio of ionic to nonionic components were analyzed by two independent theories. First is Motomura theory, derived from the Gibbs-Duhem equation, allowing for indirect evaluation of the composition of mixed monolayers and the Gibbs energies of adsorption, corresponding to mutual interaction between surfactants in mixed adsorbed film. As second theory we used our newly developed theoretical model of adsorption of ionic-nonionic surfactant mixtures. Using this approach, we were able to describe the experimental surface tension isotherms for mixtures of surface-active sugar derivatives and ionic surfactants. We obtained a good agreement with experimental data using the same set of model parameters for a whole range of studied compositions of a given surfactant mixture. The values of surface excess calculated from both theories agreed with each other with a reasonable accuracy. However, the newly developed model of adsorption of ionic-nonionic surfactant mixtures has the advantage of straightforward determination of surface layer composition. By the solution of equations of adsorption, one can obtain directly the values of surface excess of all components (surfactant ions, counterions, and nonionic surfactants molecules), which are present in the investigated system.     

Surface and volume properties of dodecylethyldimethylammonium bromide and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide: II. Volumetric properties of dodecylethyldimethylammonium bromide and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide

Density measurements were carried out for aqueous solutions of two cationic surfactants: dodecylethyldimethylammonium bromide (C₁₂(EDMAB)) and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide (BDDAB). On the basis of the obtained results of the measurements the CMC and partial molar volumes of the surfactants studied were also determined. The obtained CMC values were also analyzed with those accounted on the basis of the surface tension data from the previous paper [J. Harkot, B. Jańczuk, J. Colloid Interface Sci. (2008), submitted for publication]. The values of CMC determined from the surface tension and density measurements for C₁₂(EDMAB) are equal to 9.9×10⁻³ and 1.5×10⁻² M and for BDDAB to 5.25×10⁻³ and 5.3×10⁻³ M, respectively. These obtained values are very similar. However, in the literature it is difficult to find the CMC values for C₁₂(EDMAB) and BDDAB determined by these two methods used by us—especially from the density measurements for BDDAB and surface tension measurements for C₁₂(EDMAB). In the case of the apparent molar volumes of C₁₂(EDMAB) there is a good agreement between the values obtained by us and those found in the literature. The CMC values for C₁₂(EDMAB) and BDDAB were also determined on the basis of their surface tension and free energy of electrostatic interactions between the polar heads of these surfactants and compared with those obtained from the surface tension and density measurements. It was found that the theoretically obtained CMC values were close to those determined from the density and surface tension data for the C₁₂(EDMAB) and that the ratios of the CMC values of the surfactants to their concentration at which the water surface tension decreased by about 20 mN/m proved that the presence of the aryl group in the BDDAB head instead of the methyl group caused that its micellization process was more inhibited in relation to its adsorption at air–water interface than that of C₁₂(EDMAB).     

Effect of surfactant structure on the adsorption of carboxybetaines at the air–water interface

In order to study the effect of charge on the adsorption of surfactants at the air–water interface, two carboxybetaines have been synthesized with different number of separation methylenes between their charged groups. After purification and structure confirmation, the equilibrium and dynamic surface tensions were measured as a function of surfactant concentration for both the cationic and neutral forms of the surfactant molecules. The effect of ionic strength on the adsorption process was also studied. The equilibrium surface tension values were interpreted according to the Langmuir model and the dynamic surface tension data, converted to surface concentration by the Langmuir parameters, are consistent with the assumption of diffusion control over the range of surfactant concentrations studied. The diffusion coefficients show a progressive decrease in the rate of adsorption when the number of methylene units between the betaine charged groups increase.