Surface shear rheology of saponin adsorption layers

Saponins are a wide class of natural surfactants, with molecules containing a rigid hydrophobic group (triterpenoid or steroid), connected via glycoside bonds to hydrophilic oligosaccharide chains. These surfactants are very good foam stabiliziers and emulsifiers, and show a range of nontrivial biological activities. The molecular mechanisms behind these unusual properties are unknown, and, therefore, the saponins have attracted significant research interest in recent years. In our previous study (Stanimirova et al. Langmuir2011, 27, 12486-12498), we showed that the triterpenoid saponins extracted from Quillaja saponaria plant (Quillaja saponins) formed adsorption layers with unusually high surface dilatational elasticity, 280 ± 30 mN/m. In this Article, we study the shear rheological properties of the adsorption layers of Quillaja saponins. In addition, we study the surface shear rheological properties of Yucca saponins, which are of steroid type. The experimental results show that the adsorption layers of Yucca saponins exhibit purely viscous rheological response, even at the lowest shear stress applied, whereas the adsorption layers of Quillaja saponins behave like a viscoelastic two-dimensional body. For Quillaja saponins, a single master curve describes the data for the viscoelastic creep compliance versus deformation time, up to a certain critical value of the applied shear stress. Above this value, the layer compliance increases, and the adsorption layers eventually transform into viscous ones. The experimental creep-recovery curves for the viscoelastic layers are fitted very well by compound Voigt rheological model. The obtained results are discussed from the viewpoint of the layer structure and the possible molecular mechanisms, governing the rheological response of the saponin adsorption layers.     

Interfacial layers from the protein HFBII hydrophobin: dynamic surface tension, dilatational elasticity and relaxation times

The pendant-drop method (with drop-shape analysis) and Langmuir trough are applied to investigate the characteristic relaxation times and elasticity of interfacial layers from the protein HFBII hydrophobin. Such layers undergo a transition from fluid to elastic solid films. The transition is detected as an increase in the error of the fit of the pendant-drop profile by means of the Laplace equation of capillarity. The relaxation of surface tension after interfacial expansion follows an exponential-decay law, which indicates adsorption kinetics under barrier control. The experimental data for the relaxation time suggest that the adsorption rate is determined by the balance of two opposing factors: (i) the barrier to detachment of protein molecules from bulk aggregates and (ii) the attraction of the detached molecules by the adsorption layer due to the hydrophobic surface force. The hydrophobic attraction can explain why a greater surface coverage leads to a faster adsorption. The relaxation of surface tension after interfacial compression follows a different, square-root law. Such behavior can be attributed to surface diffusion of adsorbed protein molecules that are condensing at the periphery of interfacial protein aggregates. The surface dilatational elasticity, E, is determined in experiments on quick expansion or compression of the interfacial protein layers. At lower surface pressures (<11 mN/m) the experiments on expansion, compression and oscillations give close values of E that are increasing with the rise of surface pressure. At higher surface pressures, E exhibits the opposite tendency and the data are scattered. The latter behavior can be explained with a two-dimensional condensation of adsorbed protein molecules at the higher surface pressures. The results could be important for the understanding and control of dynamic processes in foams and emulsions stabilized by hydrophobins, as well as for the modification of solid surfaces by adsorption of such proteins.     

Interfacial behaviour and mechanical properties of spread lung surfactant protein/lipid layers

The surface behaviour of spread dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC), lung surfactant protein C (SP-C), and their mixtures were characterised using a captive bubble surfactometer. The surface tension was determined by using axisymmetric bubble shape analysis. Surface dilatational rheological behaviour was characterised by sinusoidal oscillation of the bubble volume and at frequencies 0.006-0.025 Hz. The pi/A isotherms of DPPC, SP-C, and their mixtures were described with a generalised equation of state. Monolayer cycling of mixed DPPC/SP-C layers yields isotherms with a plateau in the range of 50-53 mN/m. When the surface pressure becomes higher SP-C is squeezed out of the film, but it re-enters the film upon expansion. Surface dilatational elasticities of DPPC films had a maximum at about 30 mN/m. At higher surface pressures, the films became brittle and the elasticity decreased. A slightly pronounced maximum was found at a surface pressure exceeding 55 mN/m. The dilatational viscosity had two distinct maxima, corresponding with those in the elasticity curves, i.e. one before the minimum area demand, and one in the range of over-compression. This was explained by the formation of a second ordered complex structure in the range of film over-compression. SP-C films show continuously increasing dilatational elasticities and viscosities with a maximum at f approximately 0.02 Hz. Mixed monolayers, DPPC+2 mol% SP-C, had dilatational elasticities increasing with surface pressure. In contrast to DPPC alone, an elasticity maximum appeared in the range of the squeeze out plateau. The dilatational viscosity had two distinct maxima as observed for DPPC, whereas the maximum before the squeeze out plateau is very broad like that of SP-C. The viscosity decreased for frequencies higher 0.02 Hz favouring elastic properties of the film. Our data provide experimental evidence that SP-C mixed with DPPC yield higher elasticities and viscosities as compared with films formed by the single components. This behaviour is likely to support breathing cycles, especially for the turn from inspiration to expiration and vice versa.     

Surface Dilatational Elasticity of Pulmonary Surfactant Solutions in a Wide Range of Surface Tensions

This work is devoted to the dynamic properties of adsorption films of pulmonary surfactant and a spread monolayer of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, which is the main component of the mixed surfactant. The surface dilatational elasticity of the aforementioned systems has been determined using a recently proposed approach, which is based on the analysis of a response of a system to large deformations of a surface, and a modified Langmuir trough, which excludes solution leakage under barriers. At low surface tensions (below 30 mN/m) corresponding to those in pulmonary alveoles, the surface elasticity of a pulmonary surfactant adsorption film is half that of the spread dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine monolayer. This may, in the former case, be related to the displacement of components with lower surface activity from the surface upon film compression.     

全氟丁基磺酸钠与辛基三乙基溴化铵的相互作用

通过测定辛基三乙基溴化铵(C8H17N(CH2CH3)3Br,C8NE)与全氟丁基磺酸钠(C4F9SO3Na,C4F)组成的不同混合比的碳氢-碳氟正负离子表面活性剂混合体系的表面张力,得到不同摩尔比时C8NEC4F体系的临界胶束浓度(cmc)、cmc处的表面张力(γcmc)、总饱和吸附量、不同表面张力时表面吸附层的组成,利用Gibbs-Duhem方程求得cmc处的胶团组成。 采用规则溶液理论计算了胶团中分子间相互作用参数(βm),并求得cmc以上的胶团组成。 实验表明,C8NEC4F复配体系的cmc远远小于单体系的cmc,这也体现在该体系的βm负值很大,胶团内分子相互作用很强。 但是C4F与C8NE复配后γcmc较C4F单体系的变化幅度不是特别大(γcmc降低2~4 mN/m),这是由于C8NEC4F碳链的不对称性导致部分C8NE的碳链在溶液表面弯曲而覆盖了C4F端基CF3基团。 表面吸附层中氟表面活性剂相对于本体溶液是富集的,即使对于C8NE大大过量的体系,表面吸附层组成也在等摩尔附近;对于C4F过量的体系,C4F在表面吸附层中的比例比溶液中的略高。 随着表面张力的降低,表面吸附层的组成相对更偏向于氟表面活性剂。 cmc处的胶团组成随着体系中C4F含量的增大偏向于形成显著富含C4F的胶团,对于C8NE大大过量的体系,胶团组成接近等摩尔。 cmc之后的胶团组成接近等摩尔,主要归因于此时静电相互作用占主导,这和溶液配制过程中发现复配体系超过cmc一定浓度后就易生成沉淀的现象是相符的。     

烷基芳基磺酸盐相对分-T质量及其分布与表面性能的关系

测定了自制的9种烷基芳基磺酸盐复配体系在25℃下的临界胶束浓度cmc(1×10<'-5>moL/L)及临界胶束浓度下的表面张力γ<,cmc>(mN/m).研究了烷基芳基磺酸盐相对分子质量及其分布与表面性能的关系.平均相对分子质量432的5种分布cmc和γ<,cmc>值分别为:2.341和28.96(递增型分布);2.4...     

十五烷基芳基磺酸钠溶液表面性质的影响因素研究

测定了自制的四种高纯度十五烷基间二甲苯磺酸钠在纯水溶液和0.0393 mol/L异丙醇溶液中的表面性质,结果表明,随芳基向碳链中间位置的移动,临界胶束浓度cmc增大,分子极限占有面积Amin增大,标准吸附自由能 变得更负,降低表面张力的效率pc20增强,饱和吸附量Γ_max降低,临界胶束浓度时的表面张力γ_cmc降低;且异丙醇的加入使磺酸钠溶液的临界胶束浓度显著降低。从分子结构的特点探讨了分子支化程度对表面性能的影响。     

Electrospray ionization ion-trap multiple-stage mass spectrometry of Quillaja saponins

Fifteen identified C-18 fatty acyl-containing saponin structures from Quillaja saponaria Molina have been investigated by electrospray ionization ion-trap multiple-stage mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(n)) in positive ion mode. Their MS(1)-MS(3) spectra were analyzed and ions corresponding to useful fragments, important for the structural identification of Quillaja saponins, were recognized. A few key fragments could describe the structural variations in the C-3 and the C-28 oligosaccharides of the Quillaja saponins. A flowchart involving a stepwise procedure based on key fragments from the MS(1)-MS(3) spectra of these saponins, together with key fragments from these saponins and 13 previously investigated saponins, was constructed for the identification of structural elements in Quillaja saponins. Peak intensity ratios in MS(3) spectra were found to be correlated to structural features of the investigated saponins and is therefore of value for the identification of regioisomers.     

Dynamic elasticity of films formed by poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) microparticles on a water surface

Surface dilatational dynamic elasticity ε of films formed by cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microparticles on a water/air interface has been determined as a function of polymer surface concentration Γ. The experimental dependences exhibit two maxima of ε at surface pressures π of nearly 6 and 35 mN/m. In the region of the second maximum, the pattern of the dependence is governed by a method used to vary Γ. At π > 25 mN/m, film compression leads to the formation of a metastable monolayer, while the gradual addition of a microparticle dispersion results in the establishment of equilibrium between the monolayer and surface aggregates. In the region of π values corresponding to the second maximum of ε, slow relaxation processes with a characteristic time substantially longer than 10 s occur in the system. At π > 35 mN/m, the film collapses due to the displacement of microgel particles from the water surface.     

Oligosaccharide sequences in Quillaja saponins by electrospray ionization ion trap multiple-stage mass spectrometry

Ten different samples with 13 previously identified saponin structures from Quillaja saponaria Molina were investigated by electrospray ionization ion trap multiple-stage mass spectrometry (ESI-ITMS(n)) in positive and negative ion modes. Both positive and negative ion mode MS(1)-MS(4) spectra were analyzed, showing that structural information on the two oligosaccharide parts in the saponin can be obtained from positive ion mode spectra whereas negative ion mode spectra mainly gave information on one of the oligosaccharide parts. Analysis of MS(1)-MS(4) spectra identified useful key fragment ions important for the structural elucidation of Quillaja saponins. A flowchart involving a stepwise procedure based on key fragments from MS(1)-MS(3) spectra was constructed for the identification of structural elements in the saponin. Peak intensity ratios in MS(3) spectra were found to be correlated with structural features of the investigated saponins and are therefore of value for the identification of terminal monosaccharide residues.     

不等链长的碳氟、碳氢正负离子表面活性剂混合体系的表面活性

研究了全氟辛酸钠与溴化十四烷基三甲铵混合水溶液的表面活性. 测定了不同比例混合物水溶液的表面张力-浓度曲线, 得出临界胶团浓度(cmc)及监 界胶团浓度时的溶液表面张力(γcmc)值. 应用Gibbs吸附公式及吸附层中两表面活性剂分子相互作用参数法求出表面总吸附量、吸附层组成及两表面活性剂分别吸附量等. 指示此吸附层具有多分子层性质. 这可能是碳氢、碳氟正负离子混合体系的特点.     

Interfacial rheology and conformations of triblock copolymers adsorbed onto the water-oil interface

The conformation and the dilatational properties of three non-ionic triblock PEO-PPO-PEO (where PEO is polyethyleneoxide and PPO is polypropyleneoxide) copolymers of different hydrophobicity and molecular weight were investigated at the water-hexane interface. The interfacial behavior of the copolymers was studied by combining dilatational rheology using the oscillating drop method and ellipsometry. From the dilatational rheology measurements the limiting elasticity values, E(0), of the Pluronics as function of surface pressure, Π, and adsorption time were obtained, i.e. E(0)(t) and E(0)(Π). Here, it is shown that E(0)(t) depends on the number of PEO units and on the bulk concentration, showing maximum and minimum surface elasticity values which indicate conformational changes in the interfacial layer. Furthermore, in the framework of the polymer scaling law theory, conformational transitions were discussed in E(0) vs. Π plots. In a dilute regime (Π<14 mN m(-1)) at the water-hexane interface, E(0)=2Π fits well all the data, which indicates a two-dimensional "stretched chain" conformation. Increasing Π, two other interfacial transitions could take place. The different behavior of Pluronic copolymers could be also described by the local minima of E(0), which depends on the hydrophobicity of the copolymers. Conformational transitions observed by interfacial rheology were compared to ellipsometric data. Experimental results were discussed and explained on the basis of two- and three-dimensional copolymer structure taking into account that PPO chains could be partially immersed in hexane and water.     

Surface dilatational elasticity of poly(oxy ethylene)-based surfactants by oscillation and relaxation measurements of sessile bubbles

Surface dilatational elasticities and viscosities have been measured by means of the axisymmetric bubble shape method. Two different techniques using sinusoidal oscillations and step relaxations have been used, and the results are treated by means of the bulk/surface diffusional exchange model. Three different nonionic surfactants based on poly(oxy ethylene) as the hydrophilic group have been used: one simple surfactant, Brij 35, and two block copolymers, Pluronic F68 and P9400. Step relaxation and oscillation give mostly the same limiting surface dilatational elasticities, but step relaxation is a more model-dependent method. In the cases where the bulk/surface diffusion model is correct, the two methods give the same results, but otherwise step relaxation gives average values of the limiting elasticity E0 and the typical relaxation frequency omega0. Limiting elasticities up to ca. 25 mN m(-1)have been found for these substances. The surface/bulk diffusion model describes quite well the two relatively hydrophilic substances Brij 35 and F68, especially at low concentrations, but less so for the more hydrophobic P9400. The surface dilatational elasticity as a function of the surface pressure of the surface-active polymers goes through at least one maximum as a result of surface conformational changes.     

Micellar properties of quillaja saponin. 2. Effect of solubilized cholesterol on solution properties

The interaction between cholesterol and the surfactant quillaja saponin has been investigated by measuring the effect of cholesterol on surface and micellar properties of quillaja saponin solutions. The aggregation properties of cholesterol in water were studied using fluorescent probe methods, with results indicating that cholesterol alone does not form micelles in aqueous solution. However, surface tension, dye solubilization, and light scattering measurements show that cholesterol and saponin mixtures do form micelles at well-defined critical micelle concentrations (cmc). The cmc for saponin solutions saturated with cholesterol was generally higher than that for saponin alone, with the extent of the increase dependent on the source — and most likely the composition — of the saponin. The addition of salt decreases the cmc values, while temperature dependence of these values is more complex. Surface adsorption studies show that cholesterol preferentially adsorbs at the air/water interface, forming a closely-packed monolayer, but that saponin can partially displace the cholesterol at high saponin concentrations. Finally, the size, intrinsic viscosity and the aggregation number of the cholesterol/saponin micelles are larger than those of saponin micelles alone, with the radius of the micelles between 20 and 40% larger at 298 K. These results indicate that cholesterol most likely solubilizes within quillaja saponin micelles, and in the process has a substantial impact on the micelle structure and the energetics of micelle formation.     

Interfacial dilatational elasticity and viscosity of beta-lactoglobulin at air-water interface using pulsating bubble tensiometry

The ability of proteins to provide stability in foams is greatly influenced by their interfacial dilatational rheological properties. Surface tension response of a pulsatingbubble with an adsorbed layer of beta-lactoglobulin was measured for different frequencies and protein concentrations using a pulsating bubble tensiometer. A methodology, accounting for adsorption/desorption as well as variation of surface concentration due to expansion/contraction, was developed for the evaluation of surface dilatational elasticity and viscosity at different frequencies from these measurements. The adsorption rate constants were inferred from the surface pressure dynamics of protein adsorption using a Langmuir minitrough. The desorption rates were shown to be negligible for beta-lactoglobulin from the surface pressure response of a spread monolayer when subjected to compression in a Langmuir minitrough. The proposed model was employed to infer the interfacial dilatational viscosity and elasticity of an adsorbed beta-lactoglobulin layer at the air-water interface from experimental pulsating bubble data for protein concentrations in the range of 0.01-0.5 wt % at pH 7. As expected, the interfacial dilatational rheological properties were found to be higher at higher protein concentrations, this effect being less pronounced for dilatational elasticity. Heating at 80 degrees C for 30 min was found to result in higher interfacial dilatational viscosity and lower interfacial dilatational elasticity though this difference was within experimental error. The traditional approach for the inference of interfacial dilatational rheological properties is found to overpredict the interfacial dilatational elasticity whereas the viscosity values do not differ significantly from those obtained using the current analysis.     

Dilational rheology of spread and adsorbed layers of silica nanoparticles at the liquid-gas interface

This short review is devoted to recent achievements in studies of the dilational surface rheological properties of the systems containing complexes of silica nanoparticles with conventional surfactants. It is shown that there is a surfactant concentration range where the dynamic surface elasticity reaches extremely high values up to 1000 mN/m. This result can explain the formation of very stable foams and emulsions containing nanoparticles. In some surfactant concentration ranges the adsorption layer is characterized by a non-linear response to small compressions or expansions of the liquid surface. Possible causes of this behavior and the mechanism of main relaxation processes are briefly discussed.     

Surface adsorption of zwitterionic surfactants: n-alkyl phosphocholines characterised by surface tensiometry and neutron reflection

The surface adsorption of n-dodecyl phosphocholine (C12PC) has been characterised by a combined measurement of surface tension and neutron reflectivity. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) was found to be 0.91 mM at 25 degrees C in pure water. At the CMC, the limiting area per molecule (A(cmc)) was found to be 52+/-3 A2 and the surface tension (gamma(cmc)) to be ca. 40.0+/-0.5 mN/m. The parallel study of chain isomer n-hexadecyl phosphocholine (C16PC) showed a decrease of the CMC to 0.012 mM and a drop of gamma(cmc) to 38.1+/-0.5 mN/m. However, A(cmc) for C16PC was found to be 54+/-3 A2, showing that increase in alkyl chain length by four methylene groups has little effect on A(cmc). The almost constant A(cmc) suggested that the limiting area per molecule was determined by the bulky PC head group. It was further found that the surface tension and related key physical parameters did not vary much with temperature, salt addition, solution pH or any combination of these, thus showing that surface adsorption and solution aggregation from PC surfactants is largely similar to the zwitterionic betaine surfactants and is distinctly different from ionic and non-ionic surfactants. The thickness of the adsorbed monolayers measured from both dC12hPC and dC16hPC was found to be 20-22 A at the CMC from neutron reflectivity. Neither A(cmc) nor layer thickness varied with alkyl chain length, indicating that as the alkyl chain length became longer it was further tilted away from the surface normal direction and the layer packing density increased. It was also observed that the thickness of the layer varied little with surfactant concentration, indicating that the average conformational orientation of the alkyl chain remained unchanged against varying surface coverage.     

Fabrication of phytic acid sensor based on mixed phytase-lipid Langmuir-Blodgett films

This paper reports the surface activity of phytase at the air-water interface, its interaction with lipid monolayers, and the construction of a new phytic acid biosensor on the basis of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. Phytase was inserted in the subphase solution of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) Langmuir monolayers, and its incorporation to the air-water interface was monitored with surface pressure measurements. Phytase was able to incorporate into DPPG monolayers even at high surface pressures, ca. 30 mN/m, under controlled ionic strength, pH, and temperature. Mixed Langmuir monolayers of phytase and DPPG were characterized by surface pressure-area and surface potential-area isotherms, and the presence of the enzyme provided an expansion in the monolayers (when compared to the pure lipid at the interface). The enzyme incorporation also led to significant changes in the equilibrium surface compressibility (in-plane elasticity), especially in liquid-expanded and liquid-condensed regions. The dynamic surface elasticity for phytase-containing interfaces was investigated using harmonic oscillation and axisymmetric drop shape analysis. The insertion of the enzyme at DPPG monolayers caused an increase in the dynamic surface elasticity at 30 mN m(-)(1), indicating a strong interaction between the enzyme and lipid molecules at a high-surface packing. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films containing 35 layers of mixed phytase-DPPG were characterized by ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and crystal quartz microbalance nanogravimetry. The ability in detecting phytic acid was studied with voltammetric measurements.     

Surface Properties of Saponin—Chitosan Mixtures

The surface properties of saponin and saponin-chitosan mixtures were analysed as a function of their bulk mixing ratio using vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG), surface tensiometry and dilational rheology measurements. Our experiments show that saponin-chitosan mixtures present some remarkable properties, such as a strong amphiphilicity of the saponin and high dilational viscoelasticity. We believe this points to the presence of chitosan in the adsorption layer, despite its complete lack of surface activity. We explain this phenomenon by electrostatic interactions between the saponin as an anionic surfactant and chitosan as a polycation, leading to surface-active saponin-chitosan complexes and aggregates. Analysing the SFG intensity of the O-H stretching bands from interfacial water molecules, we found that in the case of pH 3.4 for a mixture consisting of 0.1 g/L saponin and 0.001 g/L chitosan, the adsorption layer was electrically neutral. This conclusion from SFG spectra is corroborated by results from surface tensiometry showing a significant reduction in surface tension and effects on the dilational surface elasticity strictly at saponin/chitosan ratios, where SFG spectra indicate zero net charge at the air–water interface.