Interfacial Dilational Properties of Hydrophobically Modified Partly Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide and Anionic Surfactants at the Water-Decane Interface

The dilational viscoelastic properties of hydrophobically modified partly hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and anionic surfactants (4,5-diheptyl-2-propylbenzene sulfonate and gemini surfactant C₁₂COONa-p-C₉SO₃Na) in the absence or presence of electrolyte have been investigated at the decane–water interface by means of longitudinal method and the interfacial tension relaxation method. Experimental results show that at low surfactant concentration, the increase of the dilational modulus by the addition of surfactant molecules at low frequency might be explained by the mix-adsorption of the polymer chains and surfactant molecules. At the same time, polymer chain could sharply decrease the dilational modulus of surfactant film mainly due to the weakening of the strong interactions among long alkyl chains in surfactant molecules. At high surfactant concentration, the addition of surfactant molecules can decrease the dilational modulus of polymer solution due to the fast process involving in the exchange of surfactant molecules between the interface and the mixed complex formed by surfactant molecules and hydrophobic micro-domains. The added electrolyte, which results in screening of electrostatic interactions between the ionized groups, generally increases the frequency dependence of the interfacial dilational modulus. The data obtained on the relaxation processes via interfacial tension relaxation measurements can explain the results from oscillating barriers measurements very well.     

Three-phase contact parameters measurements for silica-mixed cationic–anionic surfactant systems

The stability and interactions in thin wetting films between the silica surface and air bubble containing (a) straight chain C₁₀ amine and (b) cationic/anionic surfactant mixture of a straight chain C₁₀ amine with sodium C₈, C₁₀ and (straight chain) C₁₂ sulfonates, were studied using the microscopic thin wetting film method developed by Platikanov [D. Platikanov, J. Phys. Chem. 68 (1964) 3619]. Film lifetimes, three-phase contact (TPC) expansion rate, receding contact angles and surface tension were measured. The presence of the mixed cationic/anionic surfactants was found to lessen contact angles and suppresses the thin aqueous film rupture, thus inducing longer film lifetime, as compared to the pure amine system. In the case of mixed surfactants heterocoagulation could arise through the formation of positively charged interfacial complexes. Mixed solution of cationic and anionic surfactants shows synergistic lowering in surface tension. The formation of the interfacial complex at the air/solution interface was confirmed by surface tension data. It was also shown, that the chain length compatibility between the anionic and cationic surfactants system controls the strength of the interfacial complex. The observed phenomena were discussed in terms of the electrostatic heterocoagulation theory, where the interactions can be attractive or repulsive depending on the different surface activity and charge of the respective surfactants at the two interfaces.     

A Study of Dynamic Interfacial Properties as Related to Foaming Properties of Sodium 2,5-dialkyl Benzene Sulfonates

In this article, foaming properties and dynamic interfacial properties of a series of sodium 2,5-dialkyl benzene sulfonates in aqueous solutions were carried out to elucidate the relationship between foaming properties and dynamic interfacial properties. The properties of foams generated from bubbling air through different surfactant solutions were measured using a modified Bikerman device. The dynamic surface tension and surface dilational elasticity were obtained from an image analysis technique based on the oscillating bubble method. The surfactants molecular adsorption at the air/water interface was introduced with Rosen empirical equation and the rate of adsorption was determined from measurements of the dynamic surface tension. The surfactant with the longest alkyl chain shows the lowest dynamic surface activity, which lead to the lowest foam volume. The short ortho straight alkyl chain has little effect on the arrangement of molecules at the interface and the foam stability changes a little with the changing of the ortho alkyl chain length. The foam stability is correlated with both the higher surface dilational elasticity and the larger surface monolayer strength.     

The influence of mixed cationic–anionic surfactants on the three-phase contact parameters in silica–solution systems

The formation of thin wetting films on silica surface from aqueous solution of (a) tetradecyltrimetilammonium bromide (C₁₄TAB) and (b) surfactant mixture of the cationic C₁₄TAB with the anionic sodium alkyl- (straight chain C₁₂–, C₁₄– and C₁₆–) sulfonates, was studied using the microscopic thin wetting film method developed by Platikanov. Film lifetimes, three-phase contact (TPC) expansion rates, receding contact angles and surface tension were measured. It was found that the mixed surfactants caused lower contact angles, lower rates of the thin aqueous film rupture and longer film lifetimes, as compared to the pure C₁₄TAB. This behavior was explained by the strong initial adsorption of interfacial complexes from the mixed surfactant system at the air/solution interface, followed by adsorption at the silica interface. The formation of the interfacial complexes at the air/solution interface was proved by means of the surface tension data. It was also shown, that the chain length compatibility between the anionic and cationic surfactants controls the strength of the interfacial complex and causes synergistic lowering in the surface tension. The film rupture mechanism was explained by the heterocoagulation mechanism between the positively charged air/solution interface and the solution/silica interface, which remained negatively charged.     

Effect of Alkyl Chain Length on the Interfacial Dilational Properties of Hydroxy-Substituted Alkyl Benzenesulfonates

Dilational rheological behaviors of adsorption layers of three surfactants, sodium 2-hydroxy-3,5-dioctyl benzene sulfonate (C₈C₈), sodium 2-hydroxy-3-octyl-5-decyl benzene sulfonate (C₈C₁₀), and sodium 2-hydroxy-3-octyl-5-dodecylbenzenesulfonate (C₈C₁₂) formed at air–water and decane–water interfaces, have been investigated as a function of concentration and frequency (0.002–0.1 Hz) by the oscillating bubble/drop method. The experimental results show that the dilational moduli of hydroxy-substituted alkyl benzenesulfonates are obviously higher than those of the common surfactants, because the interfacial interactions between alkyl chains are improved drastically by the unique arrangement of C₈C₈ molecules at the interface. However, the moduli at the decane–water interface are much lower than those at the surfaces because decane molecules will insert into the surfactant molecules adsorbed at the interface and destroy the interactions between alkyl chains. With an increase in the number of carbon atom of 5-alkyl, the surface dilational modulus decreases because the orientation of the surfactant molecules at the surface varies from parallel to tilt. On the other hand, the diffusion-exchange process dominates the interfacial behavior and the interfacial modulus improves with the increase in the length of the alkyl chain.     

Synthesis of Amphoteric Surfactants via Esterification Process

This article describes the synthesis of a novel amphoteric surfactant through esterification of 2‐hydroxy‐N,N,N‐trimethylethanaminium chloride with maleic acid alkyl ester of C₈, C₁₀, and C₁₂ chain length in the presence of base. Maleic acid alkyl esters were synthesized by the reaction of maleic anhydride with alkyl alcohol. Surface‐active properties were studied by different techniques such as surface tension and foaming property. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were found by using surface tension values to learn the effect of chain length on CMC of synthesized surfactants. The best result obtained has minimal coproducts, an environmentally safer route, and a very good CMC value of surfactants.     

Influence of alkyl chain length of alpha olefin sulfonates on surface and interfacial properties

Alpha olefin sulfonates (AOS) with various alkyl chain lengths have been used to investigate the influence of alkyl chain length on the interfacial properties at air–water, liquid paraffin–water, and parafilm–water interfaces. It was found that the critical micelle concentration decreased with increasing alkyl chain length, while the efficiency of reducing surface tension was inverse relationship with alkyl chain length. The diffusion coefficient obviously reduced with an increase of surfactant concentration and alkyl chain length. The C_14-16AOS shows better wettability and emulsification than C_16-18AOS and C_20-24AOS. For foaming properties, the foamability and foam stability dramatically decreased with increasing alkyl chain length.     

Interfacial dilational properties of partly hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and gemini surfactant at the decane–water interface

The dilational viscoelastic properties of partly hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and surfactant (C₁₂COONa-p-C₉SO₃Na) in the absence or presence of electrolyte were investigated at the decane–water interface by means of longitudinal method and the interfacial tension relaxation method. The polymer plays different roles in influencing the structure of HPAM–surfactant mix-adsorbed layer at different surfactant concentration. At low surfactant concentration, the addition of polymer could sharply decrease the dilational elasticity mainly due to the weakening of the “entanglement” among long alkyl chains in surfactant molecules, while the addition of the polymer may enhance the dilational elasticity due to the slow diffusivity of the polymer chains at higher surfactant concentration. And the added electrolyte, which results in screening of electrostatic interactions between the ionized groups, generally decreases the interfacial dilational elasticity and increases the dilational viscosity. The data obtained on the relaxation processes via interfacial tension relaxation measurement can explain the results from dilational viscoelasticity measurements very well.     

Interfacial and Thermodynamic Properties of Formation of Water‐in‐Oil Microemulsions with Surfactants (SDS and CTAB) and Cosurfactants (n‐Alkanols C5–C9)

The interfacial and thermodynamic properties of water‐in‐oil microemulsion systems consisting of water, isopropyl myristate, n‐alkanol, and surfactant have been investigated using the method of dilution. The surfactants used were hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecylsulfate, and the cosurfactants were n‐alkanols with varying chain length from (C₅–C₉). The distribution of cosurfactant (n‐alkanol) between the interface of water and oil regions at the threshold level of stability as well as the energetics of the transfer of the cosurfactant from the oil to the interfacial region have been examined as a function of varying cosurfactant chain length (C₄–C₉) and temperature. The structural parameters (including dimension, population density and effective water pool radius) of the dispersed water droplets in the oil phase have also been evaluated and correlated with alkanol chain length.     

Mapping the Stability and Curvature of Emulsions of H2O and Supercritical CO2 with Interfacial Tension Measurements

The stability and curvature of emulsions of H₂O and CO₂ are reported and analyzed in terms of measurements of interfacial tension versus formulation variables, including salinity, CO₂ density, temperature and pH. Among the surfactants studied are, quaternary ammonium cationic ones with perfluoropolyether tails, block copolymer ionomers and a poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with polydimethylsiloxane tails, and a nonionic ethylene oxide surfactant with a fluoroalkane tail. The interfacial tension measurements were made at surfactant concentrations from 0.05 to 1.0 wt% with a variable-volume pendant drop tensiometer up to 345 bar and 363°K. As a formulation variable was varied, the system reached a balanced state characterized by a minimum in interfacial tension, a loss in emulsion stability and in some cases an inversion from a W/C to C/W emulsion. Here the Marangoni-Gibbs stabilization weakens, and also it becomes easy to bend and rupture the surfactant monolayer, causing coalescence. Except in the case of the nonionic fluorinated surfactant C₈F₁₇—SO₂NEt-(CH₂CH₂O)_12–14CH₃, the crossover from the CO₂-continuous (W/C) to the H₂O-continuous (C/W) emulsion occurred abruptly due to clouding of the surfactant out of the CO₂ phase. For PFPE-TMAA, the plot of γ versus surfactant concentration revealed both pre-micellar aggregates and a critical micro emulsion, each of which was dependent on salinity.     

Interfacial and Thermodynamic Properties of Anionic‐Nonionic Mixed Surfactant System: Influence of Hydrophobic Chain Length of the Nonionic Surfactant

The influence of hydrophobic chain length in nonionic surfactants on interfacial and thermodynamics properties of a binary anionic‐nonionic mixed surfactant was investigated. In this study, nonionic surfactants lauric‐monoethanolamide (C₁₂ MEA) and myrisitic‐monoethanolamide (C₁₄ MEA) were mixed with an anionic surfactant, α‐olefin sulfonate (AOS). The critical micelle concentration (cmc), maximum surface excess (Γ_max), and minimum area per molecule (A_min) were obtained from surface tension isotherms at various temperatures. The thermodynamic parameters of micellization and adsorption were also computed. Micellar aggregation number (N_agg), micropolarity, and binding constant (K_sv) of pure and mixed surfactant system was calculated by fluorescence measurements. Rubingh's method was applied to calculate interaction parameters for the mixed surfactant systems.     

Effect of the surfactant alkyl chain length on the stabilisation of lyotropic nematic phases

Lyotropic quaternary mixtures of potassium alkanoates (KCx) and sodium alkyl sulphates (NaCxS), where x is the number of carbon atoms in their alkyl chains, were prepared to investigate the effect of the surfactant alkyl chain length on the stabilisation of lyotropic nematic phases. The lyotropic mixtures investigated were formed by the dissolution of KCx (NaCxS) surfactants in the mixture of Rb₂SO₄/1-decanol/water (Na₂SO₄/1-decanol/water), separately. The uniaxial-to-biaxial nematic phase transitions were identified from the temperature dependence of the birefringences of the nematic phases by means of laser conoscopy. The micelle dimensions were obtained from small-angle X-ray scattering measurements. It was observed that the increase in the surfactant alkyl chain length causes the micellar growth in the plane perpendicular to the main amphiphile bilayer. The surfactant alkyl chain length plays a key role on the shape anisotropy of micelles, which triggers the orientational fluctuations that are responsible for the stabilisation of the different lyotropic nematic phases.     

Alkylpolyglycoside: Carbohydrate Based Surfactant

Carbohydrates are growing important renewable raw material for surfactant industry. The development of surfactants based on carbohydrate and vegetable oils is the result of the product concept based on the exclusive use of natural resources. Sugar based surfactants are gaining increased attention due to advantage with regard to performance, health of consumer and environmental compatibility compared to some standard product.

Alkylpolyglycoside (APG) is nonionic surfactant prepared from renewable raw materials namely glucose and fatty alcohol. Such products are expected to exhibit surface‐active properties due to the presence of the hydrophilic sugar moiety and the hydrophobic fatty alcohol residues. This article deals with the synthesis of alkylpolyglycoside and the study their surface active properties.

APG was prepared by using fatty alcohol varying in chain length from C8‐C18.

Effect of alkyl chain length of APG on the basic characteristics such as surface tension, interfacial tension, lime soap dispersing power, detergency, foaming, and wetting were studied.

Alkylpolyglycoside prepared from octanol, decanol, and dodecanol are water soluble and shows good surface active properties where as those prepared from long chain fatty alcohols were water insoluble and, therefore, not evaluated for their surface active properties. Incorporation of APG in toilet soap was studied.     

Studies of Synthesis and Interfacial Properties of Sodium Branched‐Alkylbenzenesulfonates

Two sodium branched‐alkylbenzensulfonates with additional alkyl substituents were synthesized through a series of reactions. The interfacial tension of these alkylbenzenesulfonates between 1.0% NaCl solution and six n‐alkanes were measured. From the data of measurements the following values were calculated: critical micelle concentration (cmc), the interfacial tension at the cmc (γ_cmc), interfacial excess concentration at the cmc (Γ_m), area per molecule at the cmc (A_m). There were a minimum γ_cmc and a maximum Γ_m appeared for the same n‐alkane with increasing the hydrocarbon chain length of the oil. These indicated that the hydrocarbon chain length of oil have the important effect on adsorption and interfacial tension.     

Interfacial Studies of the Formation of Microemulsions of Water in Carbon Dioxide with Fluorinated Surfactants

Measurements of the interfacial tension, γ, for water-CO₂-perfiuoropoly ether (PFPE) ionic surfactant systems are utilized to understand the surfactant affinity for the various phases and adsorption at the interface. A marked decrease in γ with salinity is observed as salt screens electrostatic repulsion and induces microemulsion formation, as confirmed with dynamic light scattering. In several cases, the interfacial tension goes through an unusual maximum with salinity, which is explained in terms of competition between surfactant affinity for the various phases and microemulsion formation. Fundamental studies of interfacial properties provide important insight for designing surfactants and experimental conditions to achieve the desired properties of water/CO² microemulsions and emulsions.     

Photooxidative mineralization of microorganisms-produced glycolipid biosurfactants by a titania-mediated advanced oxidation process

The photooxidative mineralizations of two microorganisms-produced glycolipid biosurfactants 4-O-(4′,6′-di-O-acetyl-2′,3′-di-O-alkanoyl-β-d-mannopyranosyl)-d-erythritol (MEL-A) and 1-O-(6′-O-acetyl-2′,3′-di-O-alkanoyl-β-d-mannopyranosyl)-d-erythritol (MEL-B) were examined by monitoring the temporal changes in UV absorption, the time profiles of CO₂ evolution and the changes in interfacial tension occurring by an advanced oxidation process in the presence of a metal-oxide (TiO₂). Features of their mineralization are compared to the photomineralization of the anionic dodecylbenzene sulfonate (DBS) surfactant carried out under otherwise identical conditions. The adsorption of surfactants on the TiO₂ surface and the positions of attack of the photogenerated OH radicals on the surfactants’ structure were assessed by molecular orbital (MO) calculations of partial charges and frontier orbital electron densities, respectively. The photodegradation of DBS was faster than the MELs as also evidenced by surface tension measurements, whereas the photomineralization of the anionic DBS surfactant was definitely slower than that of the MEL biosurfactants due to the hydrophobic alkyl chain in the DBS structure. Possible initial mechanistic stages of the photooxidation of MEL-A and MEL-B are proposed based on experimental data and comparison with MO calculations.     

CO2-triggered switchable Pickering emulsion stabilized by guanidine-functionalized silica particles

The guanidine group-modified silica particles were used as emulsifier to obtain a CO₂-responsive Pickering emulsion. To compare the wettability effect of the particles on the stability of the emulsion, both guanidine and alkyl chain were attached on the surface of silica particles. The influences of tension, particles concentration, oil-water fraction, NaCl concentration, and CO₂ on Pickering emulsion properties were investigated. Although the particles did not decrease the surface and interfacial tensions of the air/oil-water interfaces, they attached on the oil–water interfaces and stabilized the emulsions at room temperature for at least 4 weeks. Addition of salt increased the emulsion stability and induced phase inversion at high salt concentration. The stabilization–destabilization cycles of the emulsion could be successively controlled by alternative CO₂/heating triggers due to the protonation-deprotonation of guanidine groups on the particle surfaces.     

Self-aggregation of nonionic surfactants in imidazolium-based ionic liquids with trifluoromethanesulfonate anion

Self-aggregation of polyoxyethylene (POE)-type nonionic surfactants in ionic liquids, 1-butyl- and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (bmimCF₃SO₃ and emimCF₃SO₃), was investigated by means of ¹H-NMR chemical shift, dynamic light-scattering (DLS), and surface tension measurements. The surfactants showed no definite aggregate formation in bmimCF₃SO₃. This shows a remarkable contrast to the previous observation in bmimBF₄ and bmimPF₆, and demonstrates an importance of anion species to determine the property of ionic liquids as a solvent to support the self-assembly of amphiphilic compounds. On the other hand, the surfactants formed micelles in emimCF₃SO₃, which shows an importance of alkyl chain attached to imidazolium ring to determine the solvophobic interaction between surfactant hydrocarbon chains in imidazolium-based ionic liquids. The low solvophobicity of the surfactants to the ionic liquid composed of imidazolium cation with long alkyl chain is attributed to an affinity of the surfactant hydrocarbon chain to the imidazolium alkyl chain. The values of micellization parameters and surface adsorption parameters obtained for the surfactant solutions in emimCF₃SO₃ are reported.     

Enhanced interfacial properties of novel amino acid-derived surfactants: Effects of headgroup chemistry and of alkyl chain length and unsaturation

Amino acid-derived surfactants have increasingly become a viable biofriendly alternative to petrochemically based amphiphiles as speciality surfactants. Herein, the Krafft temperatures and critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of three series of novel amino acid-derived surfactants have been determined by differential scanning microcalorimetry and surface tension measurements, respectively. The compounds comprise cationic molecules based on serine and tyrosine headgroups and anionic ones based on 4-hydroxyproline headgroups, with varying chain lengths. A linear dependence of the logarithm of cmc on chain length is found for all series, and in comparison to conventional ionic surfactants of equal chain length, the new amphiphiles present lower cmc and lower surface tension at the cmc. These observations highlight their enhanced interfacial performance. For the 18-carbon serine-derived surfactant the effects of counterion change and of the presence of a cis-double bond in the alkyl chain have also been investigated. The overall results are discussed in terms of headgroup and alkyl chain effects on micellization, in the light of available data for conventional surfactants and other types of amino acid-based amphiphiles reported in the literature.     

Soybean-Oil-Based CO2-Switchable Surfactants with Multiple Heads

Oligomeric surfactants display the novel properties of low surface activity, low critical micellar concentration and enhanced viscosity, but no CO₂ switchable oligomeric surfactants have been developed so far. The introduction of CO₂ can convert tertiary amine reversibly to quaternary ammonium salt, which causes switchable surface activity. In this study, epoxidized soybean oil was selected as a raw material to synthesize a CO₂-responsive oligomeric surfactant. After addition and removal of CO₂, the conductivity analyzing proves that the oligomeric surfactant had a good response to CO₂ stimulation. The viscosity of the oligomeric surfactant solution increased obviously after sparging CO₂, but returned to its initial low viscosity in the absence of CO₂. This work is expected to open a new window for the study of bio-based CO₂-stimulated oligomeric surfactants.