Hydrophilic Carotenoids: Surface Properties and Aggregation Behavior of the Potassium Salt of the Highly Unsaturated Diacid Norbixin

The oft‐claimed ‘good’ water solubility of the food color norbixin ( 3 ) could not be confirmed. In contrast, the potassium salt 5 of norbixin formed suitable dispersions. The surface and aggregation properties of salt 5 were investigated and compared with other naturally occurring and synthetic hydrophilic carotenoids (Table).     

Biosurfactants: Opportunities for the development of a sustainable future

Changes in the environment in recent years have led to the examination of the role and influence human activities on it. Attempts to quantify the impact of these activities by developing standardized modeling frameworks through life cycle sustainability assessment is one such approach in the context of sustainability seeking to measure the impact of human interventions from a holistic perspective that includes economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Sustainable alternatives to synthetic products are always keenly sought after. Biosurfactants are emerging as suitable alternatives to the predominant less sustainable petroleum-derived counterparts. Several factors surrounding their production, distribution, and end-use, however, still needs to be considered before conclusively confirming their sustainability. Though data are still limited in that subject matter, research showing their impact on some sustainability indicators is highlighted. This review discusses the potential of biosurfactants as sustainable products in the context of social, economic, and environmental aspects.     

Aggregation Properties of an Amphiphilic Methanofullerene Derivative in THFH_2O Solvent Mixtures

Water-soluble fullerenes not only have a number of important applications in biological chemistry1, but also form ordered aggregate structures that can be utilized in materials science2. There are reports that some water-soluble fullerene derivatives can form ordered structures in water, such as vesicle, nanorod and nanoparticle2-5. However, relatively few reports on the aggregation process have been reported. Knowledge of factors that affect the cluster formation in solution is of consider…     

Identification of Triplet States in Carotenoids by Intracavity Absorption Spectroscopy and Measurements of Delayed Fluorescence

Owing to the low quantum yield of phosphorescence , triplet states of carotenoids have been very difficult to identify. These states can be characterized by intracavity absorption spectroscopy, which allows the direct measurement of the spin-forbidden singlet–triplet transitions in low concentrated solutions, and by delayed fluorescence measurements.     

Surface Modification and Contact Interaction of Particles

Abstract

The effects of particle surface modification by ambient media and surfactant adsorption on the cohesive forces in the immediate contacts between individual particles have been studied with the CF (cohesive force) apparatus. The values of the free energy of interaction in direct coagulation contacts between particles of various types in liquids of different polarity and in the presence of various surfactants have been measured. They cover a broad range of several orders of magnitude; these interactions define the rheological properties of concentrated thixotropic systems and their stability with respect to peptization. A similar experimental technique has been used for studying active media influences on various physico‐chemical processes of particle bridging and formation of the phase contacts responsible for the mechanical properties of related solid structures and their resistance to fracture. The effect of the adsorption induced decrease in strength and durability of such porous structures with phase contacts and compact solids is considered.     

Hydrophilic and amphiphilic water pollutants: using advanced analytical methods for classic and emerging contaminants

Organic pollutants are a highly relevant topic in environmental science and technology. This article briefly reviews historic developments, and then focuses on the current state of the art and future perspectives on the qualitative and quantitative trace determination of polar organic contaminants, which are of particular concern in municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, ambient surface waters, run-off waters, atmospheric waters, groundwaters and drinking waters. The pivotal role of advanced analytical methods is emphasized and an overview of some contaminant classes is presented. Some examples of polar water pollutants, which are discussed in a bit more detail here, are chosen from projects tackled by the research group led by the author of this article.     

Aggregation and Polymerization of Amphiphilic Macromonomers with a Double Bond at the Hydrophilic Terminal

Macromonomers with general formula C(n)[EO](m)-CO-CH=CH(2) were synthesized by endcapping corresponding Brij compounds with acryloyl chloride. Their aggregation behavior evaluated against the parent Brij compounds, the saturated and triblock analogs advocate that the terminal double bond is protected by the partially looped PEG chain. The homo- and copolymerization behavior in aqueous media is consistent with this possibility. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Surface activity and micellar properties of anionic gemini surfactants and their analogues

The properties of didodecyldiphenylether disulfonate gemini-type surfactants have been studied and compared to mono-alkylated and monosulfonated analogous surfactants. Dynamic and equilibrium surface tension measurements indicate that the gemini surfactants have a higher surface activity compared to that of the monoalkyl analogues. The gemini-type surfactants have much larger surface area per molecule, opposite effect of carbon number on CMC and considerable swelling of the micelles upon increasing surfactant concentration. Determination of aggregation numbers by fluorescence measurements reveals that the longer chain gemini surfactants form micelles having less than 10 molecules per micelle.     

Alkyl Polyglycosides—Properties and Applications of a new Class of Surfactants

A new generation of nonionic surfactants that are widely applicable and simultaneously ecologically compatible has been developed in the alkyl polyglycosides. Their production from the renewable resources glucose and fatty alcohol and their ultimate biodegradation into carbon dioxide, water, and assimilated bacterial biomass is an example for a closed cycle. As a result of their physico-chemical properties and ecotoxicological evaluation, they have become very important as high-performance components of detergents and cosmetic preparations.     

Chili Pepper Carotenoids: Nutraceutical Properties and Mechanisms of Action

Chili pepper is a prominent cultivated horticultural crop that is traditionally used for food seasoning and is applied for the treatment and prevention of multiple diseases. Its beneficial health properties are due to its abundance and variety of bioactive components, such as carotenoids, capsaicinoids, and vitamins. In particular, carotenoids have important nutraceutical properties, and several studies have focused on their potential in the prevention and treatment of human diseases. In this article, we reviewed the state of knowledge of general aspects of chili pepper carotenoids (biosynthesis pathway, types and content in Capsicum spp., and the effects of processing on carotenoid content) and recent findings on the effects of carotenoid nutraceuticals, such as antioxidant, cancer preventive, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular disorder preventive, and anti-obesity effects.     

Effects of Mobile Phase Ratios on the Separation of Plant Carotenoids by HPLC with a C30 Column

Plant products are dietary sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin have been implicated in the protection of age related macular degeneration (AMD) and in cardiovascular diseases. However, xanthophylls and unidentified components (λ_max = 423 and 468 nm) in plant products are often not separated well, and affect an accurate quantitative determination of lutein and zeaxanthin. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a Bischoff C30 column and a mobile phase of methanol, methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and water was used to separate lutein, zeaxanthin and other unidentified components in plant products. Mobile phase A containing methanol, MTBE and water with a ratio of 60:33:7 by volume (1.5% ammonium acetate, NH₄Ac), combined with mobile phase B with a ratio of 8:90:2 by volume (1.0% NH₄Ac) is optimal for the separation. This method was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of lutein and zeaxanthin in extracts of plant products, such as chlorella, spirulina, celery and mallow.     

Rational design,properties, and applications of biosurfactants: a short review of recent advances

Biosurfactants combine physicochemical properties with biological activities. Although biosurfactants are often expressed by microorganisms, an increasing amount is produced by chemical synthesis. As many exist in the form of homologous compounds, it is often difficult to purify biosurfactants. But this has not limited the efforts to develop their commercial applications. In this short review, we have featured the recent advances in three important types of biosurfactants, lipopeptides, nucleolipids, and glycolipids. We have focused on comparing some of the key properties and functionalities between modern synthetic versions and their corresponding natural counterparts. We end the review by outlining the needs for not only strengthening their basic structure–property relationships through further research but also developing better technologies, irrespective of direct chemical synthesis or biological synthesis of biosurfactants through constructions of genetically engineered strains, to help advance the commercial use of biosurfactants.     

pH-Dependent Aggregation Behavior and Emulsion Stability of Comb-Like Surfactant Containing PEO Grafts

The aggregation behavior of the comb-like surfactant, poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride)-g-(poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether) (SMA-M), prepared via the one-pot method, at surface and in solution, was investigated by equilibrium surface tension, rheological technology, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The emulsion prepared from n-decane/water/C₁₃E₇ was used as a model system to determine the influence of SMA-M on the stability of the emulsion. The equilibrium surface tensions of SMA-M solution with various pH were measured. The adsorption data, that is, the saturation surface excess concentration (Γ_max) and the minimum area (A _min) were evaluated using the average monomeric molecular weight (M _nA ). The results showed that Γ_max decreased with the increase of pH, but the A _min enlarged with the increase of pH. The results of the steady-state shear experiment indicated that the aggregate structure of the as-prepared comb-like surfactant SMA-M in aqueous solution evolved from interlinked micelle-like aggregates to isolated inflated micelle-like aggregates, then to rod-like aggregates with the increasing pH, which were confirmed by the TEM images. The investigation of the stabilization of n-decane/water/C₁₃E₇/SMA-M emulsion system indicated that SMA-M obviously slows down the phase separation, and the most effectively stabilized sample was obtained at pH 5.0. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology to view the free supplemental file.     

亲水单体对聚氨酯-含氟丙烯酸酯复合乳液颗粒和表面性能的影响

为了提高聚氨酯-丙烯酸酯聚合物的耐水性和耐溶剂性, 将N-甲基二乙醇胺(MDEA)扩链的交联聚氨酯丙酮溶液作为反应介质, 以苯乙烯、丙烯酸丁酯、含氟丙烯酸酯(FA)为单体, 过氧化苯甲酰为引发剂, 通过溶液聚合相转化法制得新型阳离子聚氨酯-含氟丙烯酸酯复合乳液. 研究了MDEA对聚合物水分散液的乳胶粒径、Zeta电位以及乳胶膜表面性能的影响, 并用FTIR, TEM对聚合物的结构和乳胶粒形态进行了表征. 结果表明, MDEA的添加利于降低乳胶粒径, 但对乳胶膜的疏水性能有不利影响, 当MDEA的质量分数为13.15%时, FPUA乳胶粒的形态呈球形, 粒径约为253 nm, 乳胶膜的表面自由能低于25.1 mJ/m², 接触角衰减速率约为0.38 (º)/min. 另外, 乳胶膜的高温处理能够使表面自由能降低11.5%以上.     

两亲无规聚合物的聚集行为及其与非离子表面活性剂的相互作用

以2-丙烯酰胺基-十二烷基磺酸(AMC12S)与2-丙烯酰胺基-2-甲基丙磺酸(AMPS)进行无规共聚,合成了含AMC12S摩尔分数(X)较高(X=0.1,0.3,0.5)的一系列两亲聚合物.采用稳态荧光及动态光散射技术对聚合物在水溶液中的聚集行为及其与三种非离子表面活性剂(HO(CH2CH2O)10C12H25(C12E10)、HO(CH2CH2O)20C12H25(C12E20)和HO(CH2CH2O)40C12H25(C12E40))的相互作用进行了研究,并考察了X对聚集行为的影响以及表面活性剂亲水基团长度对相互作用的影响.随着X的增大,聚合物的临界聚集浓度(CAC)明显减小,X=0.5时聚合物的CAC低达0.0039g·L-1.聚集体的流体力学半径(Rh)都大于26nm,并随着聚合物浓度的升高而增大,说明聚合物分子主要以分子间的聚集方式聚集,形成多分子聚集体.随X的增大,聚集体Rh减小,同时Rh随聚合物浓度升高而增大的幅度减小,说明聚集体结构变得更加紧实.表面活性剂与聚合物之间存在很强的相互作用,在混合溶液中表面活性剂浓度达到临界胶束浓度(CMC)左右时聚合物聚集体开始解离,形成混合聚集体.亲水基团长度增长,表面活性剂对聚合物聚集体的解离能力随之增强.C12E40与X=0.5的聚合物形成的混合聚集体Rh为6.8nm,与C12E40自身形成的聚集体尺寸相当.     

罗丹明标记的磷脂分子在亲水表面的单个分子行为

单个分子实验有很重要的意义,一方面，对于非均相体系，单个分子实验可得到分子性质分布信息；另一方面，对于均相和非均相体系，单个分子轨迹直接记录了分子性质的涨落，包含了丰富的动力学信息.在诸多单个分子检测技术中，单分子光学检测技术具有快速、无损、可探测到凝聚相内部单个分子的能力.进行单分子检测的关键是消除拉曼和瑞利散射以及杂质荧光等背景的干扰，利用共焦、近场和隐失场激发减少激发体积和检测体积，可以降低背底，提高信噪比.本实验利用共焦荧光显微镜观测单个罗丹明标记的磷脂分子在亲水玻璃表面的扩散、脱附，及其荧光闪烁的行为.实验表明，除由表面的平均力场阻碍分子运动外，还有一些特殊位点会造成长时间的特异性吸附，并得到特异性吸附的分子的脱附速率，（5.9±0.2）s－1.用穿越时间分布函数测得分子在表面的扩散速率为(3.3±0.1)×10－8 cm2•s－1，与分子在磷脂膜中的扩散速率相当.观测到了一些吸附的分子出现了荧光闪烁的现象，并对其产生原因进行了一些分析.     

壳聚糖的表面活性和聚集

壳聚糖是甲壳素的脱乙基产物 ,作为唯一的阳离子型聚电解质天然多糖 ,具有许多独特的性质 ,在生物、医学、食品、水处理等许多领域有广泛的应用或呈现出诱人的应用前景 [1～ 4].然而 ,从表面化学的角度 ,壳聚糖是否具有表面活性、在水溶液中是否聚集尚是一个有争议的问题 [5、 6].本研究结果表明壳聚糖具有表面活性 ,在水溶液中单个分子就能聚集 ,临界聚集浓度 cac≈ 0,对非极性有机物芘具有明显的增溶作用 .属于结构特殊的阳离子型高分子表面活性 剂 .1实验部分 1.1试剂 　　壳聚糖：以虾壳为原料 ,用稀碱处理除去蛋白质 ,再用稀酸处理除去…     

Microalgae as a Source of Valuable Phenolic Compounds and Carotenoids

Microalgae are photosynthetic, eukaryotic organisms that are widely used in the industry as cell factories to produce valuable substances, such as fatty acids (polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), sterols (sitosterol), recombinant therapeutic proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, phenolic compounds (gallic acid, quercetin), and pigments (β-carotene, astaxanthin, lutein). Phenolic compounds and carotenoids, including those extracted from microalgae, possess beneficial bioactivities such as antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities, and direct health-promoting effects, which may alleviate oxidative stress and age-related diseases, including cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. The production of valuable microalgal metabolites can be modified by using abiotic stressors, such as light, salinity, nutrient availability, and xenobiotics (for instance, phytohormones).     

Kinetics of Anodic Dissolution of a Hydrophilic Metal: Effect of the Surface Morphology

Current-voltage curves for the anodic dissolution of iron in acid chloride and sulfate solutions containing Cl^–, Br^–, and I^– ions are calculated. Calculations, made on the basis of a model of spatial separation of dissolution and passivation processes, account for the formation of pairs of kinks on stationary steps. The calculated curves quantitatively coincide with those found in literature. It is shown that portions of passivity in the curves are caused by specifically adsorbed anions, which hinder motion of kinks, while regions of nonpolarizability are connected not with the desorption of anions but with accelerated formation of vacancies on the steps, generating fresh active dissolution centers.