Effect of structural variation within cationic azo-surfactant upon photoresponsive function in aqueous solution

The cationic azo-surfactants possessing different spacers and tail alkyl chain lengths have been synthesized by azocoupling ofp-alkylaniline orop-ethoxyaniline with phenol, followed by alkylation and quaternalization with dibromoalkane and trimethylamine, respectively. These surfactants showed a good solubility in water. A reversibletrans-cis isomerization of the azosurfactants by photoirradiation was assessed by UV-Vis absorption spectra. Due to a difference in HLB between thetrans- andcis-surfactants, the observed critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and the electric conductivity of the surfactant solution at above the CMC were significantly affected by the photoinducedtrans-cis isomerization. The azo-surfactants bearing moderate alkyl chain lengths such as surfactants 6 (R₂=C₂H₄, R₃=C₄H₉) and 9 (R₂=C₄H₈, R₃=C₂H₅) were found to be effective to achieve large CMC changes (3.6 mmol/L for 6 and 5.9 mmol/L for 9) by UV-light irradiation. The replacement of the tail chain species also affected the photoresponsive function. The surfactant 12, possessingp-ethoxy group as the tail chain, was found to form a stable micelle aggregation as compared with the structurally related surfactant 10 having ethyl unit as its tail group, but it exhibited a large CMC change (5.3 mmol/L) by UV-light irradiation.     

Interactional and aggregation behavior of twin tail cationic surfactants with pluronic L64 in aqueous solution

The aqueous mixed systems of twin tail cationic surfactants didodecyldimethylammonium bromide, ditetradecyldimethylammonium bromide, and dihexadecyldimethylammonium bromide with pluronic L64 have been studied to determine the bulk aggregation and interactional behavior. Various experimental techniques, namely small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), fluorescence, conductivity, and surface tension, have been employed to investigate the mixed micellization. The SANS data analysis has been employed to determine the shapes of different aggregates formed. Pure twin tail cationic surfactants form vesicles whereas the micelles of pure pluronic L64 are spherical. The mixed systems (surfactant + L64) also form spherical micelles, and the spherical shape of mixed micelles is predominantly controlled by pluronic L64. Various interfacial parameters such as surface excess (Γ _max), minimum area per molecule (A _min), and thermodynamic parameters such as the standard Gibbs free energy of micellization (DG_mic⁰ \Delta G_{{mic}}^{{0}} ), Gibbs free energy of adsorption (DG_ads⁰ \Delta G_{{ads}}^{{0}} ), and effective Gibbs free energy (DG_eff⁰ \Delta G_{{eff}}^{{0}} ) have been determined from the surface tension measurements. The results were interpreted on the basis of pseudophase separation model and regular solution theory. The interactions of each surfactant with pluronic L64 are found to be nonideal and antagonistic. The repulsive nature of the interaction is explained on the basis of the changes in the microenvironment of micelles of pluronic L64. Micelles of pluronic L64 are less hydrophobic and contains significant amount of water, and inclusion of hydrophobic alkyl chains of twin tail cationic surfactants disturbs this microenvironment of pluronic L64 micelle.     

Tailoring Hierarchical Zeolites with Designed Cationic Surfactants and Their High Catalytic Performance

Three hierarchical porous zeolites (H‐*BEA, H‐MTW, and H‐*MRE) were successfully synthesized with the assistance of designed cationic surfactants under hydrothermal synthesis conditions. The as‐synthesized zeolite samples can be easily regulated by changing the number of long hydrophobic n ‐alkyl chains. Also, we investigated the relationship between the length of the surfactant and the formation of the microporous structure of the zeolite. Furthermore, the alkylation of benzene with propene was performed as a probe reaction to evaluate the catalytic performance of the synthesized hierarchical zeolites. The resulting materials were characterized by using a complementary combination of techniques, that is, X‐ray powder diffraction, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, ²⁸Si and ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, and computer simulation. These analysis results indicated that quaternary ammonium surfactants acted as organic structure‐directing agents (OSDAs) in the formation of these hierarchical zeolite samples, whether the surfactant had long hydrophobic tail groups or not. The simulation results indicated that the organic molecules with no long hydrophobic chain could lead to the synthesis of zeolite through charge control, and the hydrophobic molecules with long hydrophobic chains could form zeolites through orbital control. These hierarchical zeolites showed improved catalytic activity towards the industrially relevant alkylation of benzene with propene compared with conventional zeolites with the same frameworks. More importantly, the success of using quaternary ammonium surfactants with no hydrophobic n ‐alkyl tail group in the synthesis of hierarchically structured mesoporous zeolites provides a new pathway for the synthesis of hierarchical porous materials by a soft‐templating method.     

Synthesis and Aqueous Solution Properties of Polyoxyethylene Surfactants with Ultra-Long Unsaturated Hydrophobic Chains

Methoxypolyethylene glycols (M _n = 750, 1000, 2000, and 5000 g/mol) were hydrophobically modified by transestification with mono-unsaturated alkyl chains (UC18, UC22, and UC24), and the obtained ultra-long-chain nonionic surfactants were characterized by ¹H NMR, FTIR and gel permeation chromatographic, respectively. Aqueous solution properties of all these surfactants, including cloud point, surface activities, viscosifying ability, and phase diagrams were examined. It was found that all these ultra-long-chain polyoxyethylene surfactants exhibit good water solubility and typical Newtonian rheological behavior. For the surfactants with the same hydrophobic length, the CP, equilibrium surface tension (γ_cmc), as well as zero-shear viscosity (η₀) increase with increasing their hydrophilic length; for those with same hydrophilic head group, the critical micellar concentration and η₀ increase while the γ_CMC decreases with increasing hydrophobic tail length. Moreover, a decrease in the critical overlap concentration and an increase in the critical temperature were observed in phase diagrams of all these ultra-long-chain polyoxyethylene surfactants. (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.)     

Interaction of a homologous series of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides with eggwhite lysozyme

The interaction of a series of n-alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides (C₁₂, C₁₄ and C₁₆) with egg white lysozyme have been studied using fluorescence and UV-Vis spectroscopies and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The trend of variation of molar absorptivity at 281 nm, quantum yields (λ_ex=281 nm) and heat of interaction with respect to surfactant concentration, were measured. The spectrophotometric results show that the hydrophobic interactions have a major role in denaturation mechanism and it would be increased with increasing in hydrocarbon tail length of surfactant. The ITC results indicated the two-step mechanism for unfolding of lysozyme due to its interaction with surfactants.     

Thermosensitive amphiphilic polyphosphazenes and their interaction with ionic surfactants

Temperature-responding physical hydrogels are promising materials as injectable drug delivery carriers which could hold useful bioactive materials inside the polymer networks for further controlled releases. Aimed at desired qualities at body temperature, those gel characteristics need to be adjusted carefully. In this point of view, surfactant is one of the useful molecules to be used by simple formulations without harmful chemical reactions. In this study, thermothickening of amphiphilic nonionic polyphosphazene solution is modified by anionic and cationic surfactants with different alkyl chains and counter-ions. Specified in the thermothickening system, a maximum viscosity (η_max) and a temperature at that point (T_max) are changed independently reflecting unique intermolecular interactions. At low concentration (1–9 mM) of the added surfactant, the η_max is maximized at 3 mM surfactant regardless of the surfactant type while the T_max is increased continuously along with the surfactant concentration. From a kinetic point of view, this 3 mM surfactant at the maximized η_max reflects a polymer-dominating interaction and highly favorable polymer–surfactant interaction with a low selectivity in the surfactant type. However, the magnitude of the maximum viscosity (η_max) is dependent on the surfactant tail, which reflects the lifetime and the strength of the hydrophobic domains of the polymer network affected by the surfactants. Meanwhile, the magnitude of the T_max depended on the surfactant head group, which means the interfacial tension of the polymer solutions changed by the surfactants. At high concentration (10 and 30 mM) of the cationic surfactants added to the polymer solutions with two different viscosities, the cationic surfactants are supposed to interact either with the hydrophobic parts of the aggregated polymer with high viscosity or on the backbone of the less- or non-aggregated polymer with low viscosity.Ionic surfactants change the thermothickening of the amphiphilic nonionic polyphosphazene solution in a unique tail- or head-dependent way. Moreover, the concentration of the added surfactants and the association pattern of the pure polymer solutions are also crucial for the thermothickening phase behaviors. Temperature-responsive polyphosphazenes in this work exhibit unique and controllable interactions with ionic surfactants.     

BINDING OF IONIC SURFACTANTS ON OPPOSITELY CHARGED POLYELECTROLYTES OBSERVED BY FLUORESCENCE METHODS

Our recent studies concerning the binding of ionic surfactants on oppositely charged polyelectrolytes observedwith fluorescence techniques are reviewed. The cationic surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB),dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), and nonionic surfactant octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C_(12)E_8) wereallowed to bind on anionic poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) and its pyrene and/or naphthalenelabeled copolymers. The relative excimer emission intensity I_E/I_M of a cationic probe l-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride(PyMeA·HCl) and the non-radiative energy transfer (NRET) I_(Py)/I_(Np) of naphthalene to pyrene for labeled polyelectrolyteswere chosen to monitor the binding process and the conformation change of surfactant-bound polyelectrolytes. The 1:1aggregation of polyelectrolyte-CTAB with respect to the charge was found as long as the CTAB concentration was slightlyhigher than its critical aggregation concentration (CAC). The intermolecular NRET indicated that the CTAB-boundpolyelectrolytes aggregated together through the hydrophobic interaction between the CTAB tails. However, neither 1:1polyelectrolyte-DTAC aggregation nor intermolecular aggregation of DTAC-bound polyelectrolyte was observed owing to itsweaker hydrophobicity of 12 carbon atoms in the tail, which is shorter than that of CTAB. As known from the fluorescenceresults, nonionic surfactant C_(12)E_8 did not bind on the anionic polyelectrolytes, but the presence of PAMPS promoted themicelle formation for C_(12)E_8 at the CAC slightly below its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The solid complex of dansyllabeled AMPS copolymer-surfactant exhibited a decrease in local polarity with increasing charge density of thepolyelectrolyte or with alkane tail length of the surfactant. SAXS suggested a lamella structure for the AMPS copolymer-surfactant solid complexes with a long period of 3.87 nm for CTAB and 3.04 nm for DTAC, respectively.     

Novel highly fluorinated sulfamates: synthesis and evaluation of their surfactant properties

Two synthetic pathways have been elaborated to prepare new series of highly fluorinated sulfamates with excellent yields. Surface tension measurements at the air/water interface showed that these compounds constitute new excellent non-ionic surfactants exhibiting high surface activity in the range of the best non-ionic fluoro surfactants already described in the literature. The most important feature of this work is that, in comparison with the classical non-ionic fluoro surfactants, these sulfamates are easily synthesized in a monodisperse form from classical and relatively non-toxic starting materials. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), the maximum surface excess concentration (Γ) and the minimum area per molecule (a) have been calculated from the surface tension measurements on surfactant aqueous solutions. Relationships have been established between the length of both the fluorinated tail and hydrocarbon spacer linking the hydrophobic tail to the hydrophilic head, and the interfacial properties.     

Syntheses and properties of ethoxylated double‐tail trisiloxane surfactants containing a propanetrioxy spacer

A new type of ethoxylated double‐tail trisiloxane surfactants containing a propanetrioxy spacer of the general formula ROCH₂CH(OR)CH₂O(CH₂CH₂O)_xCH₃ [R = Me₃SiOSiMe(CH₂)₃OSiMe₃, x = 8.4, 12.9, 22] has been synthesized. Their structures were characterized by ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR and ²⁹Si‐NMR spectroscopy. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of these double‐tail trisiloxane surfactants were at the level of 10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹, and the surface tension values of their aqueous solutions at CMC were in the range of 21‐24.9 mN m⁻¹. Only the double‐tail trisiloxane surfactant with average ethoxy units of 8.4 ( 1P ) possesseda good spreading ability (SA) value. Its SA values of aqueous solutions (5.0 × 10⁻³ mol l⁻¹) on parafilm and Ficus microcarpa leaf surfaces were more than 15 (within 10 min) and 13 (within 3 min), respectively. The trisiloxane surfactant 1P was also found to have the strongest hydrolysis resistant ability among all of the double‐tail trisiloxane surfactants prepared. Its aqueous solutions were stable for 130 days in an acidic environment (pH 4.0) and 59 days in an alkaline environment (pH 10.0) with surface tension values less than 23 mN m⁻¹. It is suggested that this surfactant can be used as a wetting agent or spreading agent in certain extreme pH environments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Binding characteristics of ionic surfactants with human hair

Binding isotherms of two types of ionic surfactants, C_mH_{2m +1}SO₄Na (m = 8,10,12) and C_nH_{2n + 1}N⁺(CH₃)₃C1 (n=10, 12), to human hair in aqueous solutions were examined to clarify effects of hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction of ionic surfactants with hair. The binding isotherms of anionic surfactants showed cooperativity with discontinuously increasing shapes, while the binding isotherms of cationic surfactants showed a Langmuir-type, regardless of the difference of a hair condition.The calculated free energy change (— G@#@) for binding, obtained from Klotz' plots, suggests that the binding processes are governed mainly by a hydrophobic interaction, and bound surfactants probably expose their alkyl chains to the aqueous phase, since no-G was observed with the increase of m or n and values of enthalpy change(H) were positive or zero.     

Surfactant effect on the lower critical solution temperature of poly(organophosphazenes) with methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) and amino acid esters as side groups

 The surfactant effect on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of thermosensitive poly(organophosphazenes) with methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) and amino acid esters as side groups was examined in terms of molecular interactions between the polyphosphazenes and surfactants including various anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants in aqueous solution. Most of the anionic and cationic surfactants increased the LCST of the polymers: the LCST increased more sharply with increasing length and hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic part of the surfactant molecule. The ΔLCSTs (T _0.03M− T _0M), the change in the LCST by addition of 0 and 0.03 M sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), were found to be 7.0 and 14.5 °C for the polymers bearing ethyl esters of glycine and aspartic acid, respectively. The LCST increase of poly(organophosphazene) having a more hydrophobic aspartic acid ethyl ester was 2 times larger compared with that of the polymer having glycine ethyl ester as a side group. The binding behavior of SDS to the polymer bearing glycine ethyl ester as a hydrophobic group was explained from the results of titration of the polymer solutions containing SDS with tetrapropylammonium bromide. Graphic models for the molecular interactions of polymer/surfactant and polymer/surfactant/salt in aqueous solutions were proposed. Received: 17 February 2000/Accepted: 25 April 2000     

UV Polymerisation of Surfactants Adsorbed at the Nematic Liquid Crystal–Water Interface Produces an Optical Response

We have investigated the changes in crossed polariser optical textures produced by adsorption and UV polymerisation of a range of polymerisable surfactants at the interface between a nematic liquid crystal and water. Similar to non‐polymerisable surfactants, the adsorption of polymerisable surfactants with sufficiently long hydrophobic tail groups produces a transition from planar to homeotropic anchoring. UV polymerisation of surfactants with a polymerisable group located in the hydrophobic tail region changes the anchoring from homeotropic back to planar. Polymerisation in the hydrophilic headgroup region does not produce an optical transition. We demonstrate that these systems can be used to “write with light” in the interfaces and that they form the basis of a UV sensor device in which the optical response is visible to the naked eye.     

Micellization behavior of anionic gemini surfactants-templated manufacture of cerium oxide nanoparticles

A series of anionic gemini surfactants (GS) were synthesized from the reactant of N, N-dimethylaminoethanol (DMEA) with dicarboxylic acid diester (DADE), after the DADE was synthesized from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and fatty alcohol. Through rational design, benzene ring was introduced into the molecular structure to work as spacer group; carboxylic acid ammonium salt with hydroxyl as functional hydrophilic head group, and double-alkyl chain performed as hydrophobic tail chains. Then, surface active properties and micellization behavior were investigated respectively. It is found that these novel molecular structure dramatically improved the surface active properties, including critical micelle concentration (CMC: 10^?3?mol/L), surface tension (γ_min: 26.5?mN/m), conductivity and absorption at interface. Moreover, GS were able to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which, together with rigid spacer group, greatly affected the micellization behavior in bulk solution. More importantly, the self-assembly of aggregation with different morphologies can be controlled via adjustment to solution concentration or tail chain length. Finally, GS were applied as soft templates for the shape controllable synthesis of cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles, and CeO₂ nanoparticles in diverse shapes were eventually obtained and verified, such as dorayaki shape (double-pancake shape), rod-cluster shape, lamellar shape, butterfly shape and dendrite shape.     

Effect of Association of Bromophenol Blue with Tween Surfactants on Its Acid-Base Equilibria at High pH

The acid base equilibria of the sulfonephthalein dye bromophenol blue (BPB) in aqueous nonionic micellar solutions of Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60, and Tween 80 have been investigated spectroscopically using a partition equilibrium method. A visible red shift in the absorbance of the basic form of the dye with increase in surfactant concentration was observed at and above pH 6.98. This has been attributed to the stabilization of the acid form of the dye by the POE groups on the head of the surfactant monomers. Such stabilization effect was found to decreases with decrease in the number of carbon atom in the hydrophobic tail and with the increase in the hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of the surfactant molecule. The equilibrium constant of the partition of the dyes between micellar and aqueous pseudophases (K_ass) was found to increase with the surfactants in the order Tween 80 < Tween 60 < Tween 40 < Tween 20. The pK_a2 of the dyes were predicted and found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.     

Innovative amphiphilic cellulose nanobiostructures: Physicochemical,spectroscopic, morphological,and hydrophilic/lipophilic properties

The amphiphilic character of cellulosic copolymers offers the opportunity to employ their derivatives as novel bio-friendly stable amphiphilic agents. It can be speculated that the synthesized nanobiostructures with hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments will have micellar features. Our investigations, for the first time, demonstrate that the amphiphilic nature of the synthesized macromolecules based on hydrophobic cellulose triacetate (CTA) and hydroxyl terminated oligomeric species of CTA (HCTA) by using hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) with M_n 600 and 2000 D as CTA-g-PEG, 600; CTA-g-PEG, 2000; HCTA-b-PEG, 600; and HCTA-b-PEG, 2000. The characteristic features of the copolymers were determined by XRD, differential scanning calorimeter, ¹H NMR, FTIR, GPC, dynamic light scattering measurements, and transmission electron microscopy. In addition, their critical micelle concentrations were evaluated. The obtained results indicated that the hydrophobic blocks make a significant influence on the micellar characteristics of the surfactants. A comparison of the micellar behavior of a hydrophobic species, like pyrene, incorporated in the synthesized systems indicated that the incorporation content of the surfactants is influenced by the hydrophobic and hydrophilic chain lengths. Therefore, it is possible to design the diversity of the surfactants based on various hydrophilic/lipophilic balance.     

Effects of head group of cationic surfactants on the hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl acetate catalyzed by α‐chymotrypsin

The kinetics of hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl acetate catalyzed by α‐chymotrypsin (α‐CT) has been studied in the presence of several cationic surfactants having different head groups maintaining the dodecyl hydrophobic residue and bromide counterion. The enzyme activity was tested in the presence of dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), dodecylpyridinium bromide (DPB), dodecyldimethylethanolammonium bromide (DDMEAB), dodecyldiethylethanolammonium bromide (DDEEAB), benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide (BDDAB), and dodecyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (DTPB) surfactants. The extent of superactivity depends upon head groups of surfactants. The activity of α‐CT depends on the surfactant concentration and it varies with the surfactant head group dimensions (DTPB > DDEEAB > DTAB > BDDAB > DDMEAB > DPB). For all surfactants, DTPB exhibits highest superactivity. The effects of surfactants on the apparent kinetic parameters like Michaelis constant K_m and the catalytic constant k_cat have been determined. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 377–381, 2009     

2-(Acylaminoethyl)trimethylammonium chloride surfactants: synthesis and properties of aqueous solutions

The title cationic surfactants have been synthesized by reaction of carboxylic acids with N, N-dimethylethylenediamine to give an intermediate amidoamine. The latter was quaternized with methyl iodide; the product was transformed into the corresponding chloride surfactant by ion-exchange on a macroporous resin. Adsorption and aggregation of these surfactants in H ₂O have been studied by surface tension measurement. Additionally, solution conductivity, electromotive force (H ₂O), and Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (D ₂O) have been employed to investigate micelle formation. Increasing the length of R resulted in the following changes: an increase in the micelle aggregation number; a decrease in the minimum area per surfactant at the solution/air interface, the critical micelle concentration, and the degree of counterion dissociation. Gibbs free energies of adsorption at the solution/air interface and micelle formation in water were calculated and compared to those of alkyltrimethylammonium chlorides. The contribution to these free energies from surfactant methylene groups (in the hydrophobic tail) and the head group was calculated. The former are similar to those of other cationic surfactants. The corresponding free-energy contributions of head groups are smaller (i.e., more negative), indicating that the transfer of this group from bulk water to the interface (for adsorption) and/or to the micelle (aggregate formation) is more favorable. This is attributed to intermolecular hydrogen bonding of monomers at the interface, and/or in the aggregate, via the amide group, in agreement with our Fourier transform IR data. Our results are compatible with a micellar interface closer to the amide nitrogen than to the quaternary ammonium ion.     

Host–Guest Complexation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-, <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-Cyclodextrin with Alkyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromides in Aqueous Solution

As a continuation of our previous investigation, interactions between cyclodextrin (β-CD), γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) and alkyl trimethylammonium bromides in aqueous solutions have been studied with titration calorimetry and ¹H NMR at 298.15 K. The results are discussed in terms of the amphiphilic interaction of CD with surfactants and the iceberg structure formed by water molecules existing around the hydrophobic tail of surfactant molecules. The stoichiometry of the β-CD–surfactant system is 1:1 whereas that of the γ-CD–surfactant system is 1:2. The corresponding formation enthalpy (negative) of the complexes of the two systems decreases with an increase in the number of carbon atoms (n) in hydrophobic chain of surfactant molecule, C _n H_2n+1, whereas the entropy increases with the enlargement of n.     

Mechanism of electroless deposition of Ni–W–P alloys by adding surfactants

This paper describes an electroless deposition method for the formation of a thin metallic film containing mainly nickel with significant amounts of tungsten (up to 25%) and phosphorus (5–10%). The film was deposited from an aqueous electrolyte that contained sodium tungstate as a source of tungsten, nickel sulphate as a source of nickel and hypophosphite as the reducing agent and a source of phosphorus. The surfactants were p‐hexyloxy‐p‐sodium sulphonate azobenzene (HSA) with the formula H₁₃C₆OC₆H₄N₂ C₆H₄SO₃Na and p‐hexylbenzyltriethanol ammonium chloride (HBC) with the formula H₁₃C₆H₄CH₂N⁺ (C₂H₄OH)₃Cl^?, added as stabilizers. In this study the process parameters of typical solutions, such as temperature, pH and concentration of tungstate salt and the concentration of different surfactants, were presented and discussed. Adsorption of the surfactants on a metal surface was dependent, among other things, on the structure of their hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions. The effect of adsorption of these surfactants on a metal surface was examined above and below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The deposition process involves several reactions that occur simultaneously and are described in detail in this work. The mechanism for interaction of the surfactants with the steel surface was proposed through the isotherm for adsorption from aqueous solution. Furthermore, the surface properties of the surfactants were measured, particularly the CMC, the surface tension reduction and the maximum surface excess Γ_max. The tungsten percentage in the deposit layer was strongly influenced by the plating conditions and the critical concentration of each surfactant. The results were discussed according to the surface properties of the additive. The thin film of Ni–W–P achieved high crystal refinement and high hardness, it was smooth and uniform and it exhibited superior corrosion resistance. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synergistic improvement of foam stability with SiO2 nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) and different surfactants

Foam fluids are widely used in petroleum engineering, but long-standing foam stability problems have limited the effectiveness of their use. The study explores the synergistic effects and influencing factors of SiO₂ nanoparticles (SiO₂-NPs) with different wettability properties and three different surfactants. The paper investigates the foaming performance of different types of surfactants and analyzes and compares the stability of foam after adding hydrophilic and hydrophobic SiO₂-NPs from macroscopic as well as microscopic perspectives, and the effects of temperature and inorganic salts on the stability of mixed solutions. The experimental results show that: 1) hydrophilic nanoparticles can significantly enhance the foam stability of amphoteric surfactants, with a small increase in the foam stability of anionic and cationic surfactants; 2) The concentration of nanoparticles did not have a significant effect on the stability of the cationic surfactants and this conclusion was verified in the experimental results of the surface tension measured below;3) The cationic surfactants showed better temperature resistance at temperatures of 50–90 °C. Both amphoteric surfactant solutions with the addition of hydrophilic SiO₂-NPs or hydrophobic SiO₂-NPs significantly improved the temperature resistance of the foam at high temperatures. The anionic surfactant solution with hydrophobic SiO₂-NPs did not enhance the solution temperature resistance; 4) The surface tension of the surfactant solution gradually increases with increasing concentration of hydrophilic or hydrophobic SiO₂-NPs and then levels off; 5) the hydrophilic SiO₂-NPs had a significant effect on the salt tolerance of the anionic and amphoteric surfactant solutions. The salt tolerance of cationic surfactant solutions with hydrophobic SiO₂-NPs was better than that of surfactants with hydrophilic SiO₂-NPs.