Aggregation of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides in solution and at the air-water interface

The present article focuses on the comparative study of physicochemical properties of two ionic pullulan derivatives modified by 10 or 35 C8 chains per 100 anhydroglucose units, named CMP10C8 and CMP35C8, respectively. In aqueous solutions, these derivatives exhibited an associative behavior as evidenced by pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy. This phenomenon, which stems from intra- and/or intermolecular interactions between the hydrophobic groups grafted on the polymer backbone, results in the formation of more or less condensed aggregates depending on the C8 ratio and the ionic strength of the media. The hydrophobically modified pullulans also displayed surface properties. Their adsorption at the air-solution interface was assessed from surface tension measurements. The results showed that both hydrophobized polymers adsorb in a coil conformation occupying a large interfacial molecular area. The comparison of these molecular areas indicated that CMP35C8 adopts a more shrunken conformation at the interface than CMP10C8, due to stronger intramolecular interactions. The stability of the adsorbed monolayer under bulk dilution was investigated by ellipsometric measurements. Whereas bulk dilution had no effect on the stability of the adsorbed CMP35C8 film, it provoked significant changes in the adsorbed CMP10C8 monolayer. The stability of the CMP35C8 monolayers was attributed to the existence of intermolecular associations between the adsorbed coils.     

Observation of a liquid-gas phase transition in monolayers of alkyltrimethylammonium alkyl sulfates adsorbed at the air/water interface

The equilibrium adsorption layers of symmetric chain alkyltrimethylammonium alkyl sulfates (Cn+.Cn- for n = 8, 12) were investigated at the air/water interface by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy in the function of the bulk surfactant concentration. To ensure the surface purity of the solutions investigated, an improved version of the foam fractionation method was used for the purification of the constituent ionic surfactants and the surface purity of the solutions was also checked. In the monolayer of the C12+.C12- surfactant, a two-dimensional first-order gas/liquid phase transition was observed. At surfactant bulk concentrations just exceeding the concentration corresponding to the phase transition, the monolayer is conformationally disordered, liquidlike, but with increasing bulk surfactant concentration the conformational order of the monolayer increases. The SFG spectra of the C8+.C8- monolayer did not indicate the occurrence of phase transition at room temperature.     

Adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate at the hydrophobic solid/aqueous solution interface in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol): dependence upon polymer molecular weight

The polar orientation and degree of conformational order of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) adsorbed at the hydrophobic octadecanethiol/aqueous solution interface in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been investigated as a function of the surfactant concentration and the molecular weight of the polymer. Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was employed to obtain spectra of interfacial surfactant; weak SFG signals from interfacial polymer were also detected for polymer molecular weights of 900 and above. The phase of the SFG spectra indicated that both the surfactant and polymer had a net orientation of their CH2 and/or CH3 groups toward the hydrophobic surface. Spectra of SDS in the presence of mixed polymer/surfactant solutions showed increasing conformational order as the surfactant concentration was raised. At the lowest surfactant concentrations, the spectra of SDS were weaker in the presence of the polymer than in its absence. All PEG molecular weights investigated, with the exception of PEG 400, gave rise to significant inhibition of ordered surfactant adsorption below the critical micelle concentration. The greatest inhibitory effect was noted for PEG 900. Probing interfacial PEG specifically through the use of perdeuterated SDS revealed that the polymer spectral intensity decreased monotonically as the surfactant concentration was increased for all polymer molecular weights where a PEG spectrum was apparent. These findings are interpreted in terms of the displacement of preadsorbed polymer as the surfactant concentration increases. This result is compatible with observations of adsorption from SDS/PEG solutions at solid/solution and solution/air interfaces made using other techniques.     

New thermodynamic/electrostatic models of adsorption and tension equilibria of aqueous ionic surfactant mixtures: application to sodium dodecyl sulfate/sodium dodecyl sulfonate systems

The nonideal adsorbed solution (NAS) theory has been formally extended to adsorption at the air/water interface from aqueous mixtures of ionic surfactants, explicitly accounting for the surface potential of the adsorbed monolayer with the Gouy-Chapman theory. This new ionic NAS (iNAS) theory is thermodynamically consistent and, when coupled to a micellization model, is valid for concentrations below and above the mixed cmc. Counterion binding is incorporated into the model using two fractional binding parameters, beta(sigma) for the adsorbed monolayer and beta(m) for the micelles. The regular solution theory is used to model the nonideal interactions within the adsorbed monolayer and within the mixed micelles. New tension data for an equimolar mixture of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDSn) at two salinities fit this model well when mixing is ideal. The total surface densities, the surface compositions, and the surface potentials for the mixed monolayers are calculated. When there is no added salt, at total surfactant concentrations below the mixed cmc, the adsorbed monolayer is enriched in SDSn, but at total concentrations at and above the mixed cmc, the adsorbed monolayer is nearly an equimolar mixture. In the presence of 100 mM NaCl, the adsorbed monolayer is nearly an equimolar mixture, independent of the total surfactant concentration.     

Effect of architecture on the formation of surface multilayer structures at the air-solution interface from mixtures of surfactant with small poly(ethyleneimine)s

The impact of ethyleneimine architecture on the adsorption behavior of mixtures of small poly(ethyleneimines) and oligoethyleneimines (OEIs) with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) at the air-solution interface has been studied by surface tension (ST) and neutron reflectivity (NR). The strong surface interaction between OEI and SDS gives rise to complex surface tension behavior that has a pronounced pH dependence. The NR data provide more direct access to the surface structure and show that the patterns of ST behavior are correlated with substantial OEI/SDS adsorption and the spontaneous formation of surface multilayer structures. The regions of surface multilayer formation depend upon SDS and OEI concentrations, on the solution pH, and on the OEI architecture, linear or branched. For the linear OEIs (octaethyleneimine, linear poly(ethyleneimine) or LPEI(8), and decaethyleneimine, LPEI(10)) with SDS, surface multilayer formation occurs over a range of OEI and SDS concentrations at pH 7 and to a much lesser extent at pH 10, whereas at pH 3 only monolayer adsorption occurs. In contrast, for branched OEIs BPEI(8) and BPEI(10) surface multilayer formation occurs over a wide range of OEI and SDS concentrations at pH 3 and 7, and at pH 10, the adsorption is mainly in the form of a monolayer. The results provide important insight into how the OEI architecture and pH can be used to control and manipulate the nature of the OEI/surfactant adsorption.     

Surface and solution behavior of the mixed dialkyl chain cationic and nonionic surfactants

The surface and solution behavior of the mixed dialkyl chain cationic and nonionic surfactant mixture of dihexadecyldimethylammonium bromide, DHDAB, and hexaethylene monododecyl ether, C12E6, has been investigated, using primarily the scattering techniques of small-angle neutron scattering and neutron reflectivity. Within the time scale of the measurements, the adsorption of the pure component C12E6 at the air-solution interface shows no time dependence. In contrast, the adsorption of the DHDAB/C12E6 mixture and pure DHDAB has a pronounced time dependence. The characteristic time for adsorption varies with surfactant concentration, composition, and temperature. It is approximately 2-3 h for the DHDAB/C12E6 mixture, dependent upon concentration and composition, and approximately 50 min for DHDAB. At the air-solution interface, the equilibrium composition of the adsorbed layer shows a marked departure from ideal mixing, which is dependent upon both the solution concentration and the concentration of added electrolyte. In contrast, the composition of the aggregates in the bulk solution that are in equilibrium with the surface is close to ideal mixing, as expected for solution concentrations well in excess of the critical micellar concentration. The structure of the mixed adsorbed layer has been measured and compared with the structure of the equivalent pure surfactant monolayer, and no substantial changes in structure or conformation are observed. The extreme departure from ideal mixing in the adsorption behavior of the DHDAB/C12E6 mixture is discussed in the context of the structure of the adsorbed layer, changes in the underlying solution structures, and the failure of regular solution theory to predict such behavior.     

Noninteracting versus interacting poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-surfactant mixtures at the air-water interface

Two polymer-surfactant mixtures have been studied at the air-water interface using neutron reflectivity and surface tension techniques. For the noninteracting system poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)/octaethyleneglycol mono n-decyl ether (C10E8), the adsorption behavior is competitive and driven purely by surface pressure (pi). When pi(polymer) > pi(surfactant), the surface layer consists of almost pure polymer, and for pi(polymer) < pi(surfactant), the polymer is displaced from the surface by the increasing pressure of the surfactant. Beyond the CMC, the polymer is completely displaced from the surface. For the interacting system PNIPAM/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) where the two species interact strongly in the bulk beyond the critical aggregation concentration (CAC), the surface behavior is more original. Earlier neutron reflectivity studies investigated PNIPAM adsorption behavior where the SDS was contrast-matched to the solvent. In the present study, complementary measurements of SDS adsorption where PNIPAM is contrast-matched to the solvent give a complete view of the surface composition of the mixed system. At a constant polymer concentration, with increasing SDS, three main regimes are obtained. For C(SDS) < CAC, adsorption is governed by simple competition and PNIPAM is predominant at the interface. At intermediate SDS concentration (CAC < C(SDS) < x2, where x2 indicates the predominance of free SDS micelles), interfacial behavior is governed by bulk polymer-surfactant interaction. Adsorbed polymer is displaced from the interface to form PNIPAM-SDS complex in the bulk. SDS adsorption remains weak since most of the SDS molecules are used to form bulk polymer-surfactant aggregates. Further increase in SDS concentration results in continued displacement of PNIPAM and an abrupt increase in SDS adsorption. This is a result of saturation of bulk polymer chain with adsorbed micelles. Interestingly, beyond x2, PNIPAM is not completely displaced from the surface. A mixed PNIPAM-SDS adsorbed layer with enhanced packing of the SDS monolayer is formed.     

Adsorption of SDS and PEG on calcium fluoride studied by sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from aqueous solution onto a calcium fluoride substrate (CaF(2)), in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) of different molecular weights, has been investigated using the interface specific nonlinear optical technique of sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. Spectra of adsorbed SDS (in the C-H stretching region) were recorded at the surface of a CaF(2) prism in contact with SDS solutions at concentrations up to the cmc (8 mM) of the pure surfactant and in contact with binary solutions containing SDS and PEG with molecular weights from 400 to 12 000. In contrast with SFG spectra from the same combinations of surfactant and polymer on a hydrophobic surface, there was no evidence of spectra arising from the actual polymer adsorbed on CaF(2) at any polymer molecular weight either in the absence or presence of surfactant. However, there was indirect evidence for the presence of adsorbed polymer from changes in the SDS SFG spectra in the presence of polymer compared with spectra when the polymer was absent. The SFG spectra of SDS at 0.8 mM were closely similar to each other at all polymer molecular weights and different from the spectra in the absence of the polymer. The spectral differences between the polymer present and polymer absent was much smaller when the solution concentration of surfactant was 8 mM.     

Influence of the polyelectrolyte poly(ethyleneimine) on the adsorption of surfactant mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulfate and monododecyl hexaethylene glycol at the air-solution interface

The polyelectrolyte poly(ethylenenimine), PEI, is shown to strongly influence the adsorption of the anionic-nonionic surfactant mixture of sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and monododecyl hexaethylene glycol, C(12)E(6), at the air-solution interface. In the presence of PEI, the partitioning of the mixed surfactants to the interface is highly pH-dependent. The adsorption is more strongly biased to the SDS as the pH increases, as the PEI becomes a weaker polyelectrolyte. At surfactant concentrations >10(-4) M, the strong interaction and adsorption result in multilayer formation at the interface, and this covers a more extensive range of surfactant concentrations at higher pH values. The results are consistent with a strong interaction between SDS and PEI at the surface that is not predominantly electrostatic in origin. It provides an attractive route to selectively manipulate the adsorption and composition of surfactant mixtures at interfaces.     

Conformational changes in human serum albumin induced by sodium perfluorooctanoate in aqueous solutions

Conformational changes in the bulk solution and at the air-aqueous interface of human serum albumin (HSA) induced by changes in concentration of sodium perfluorooctanoate (C(7)F(15)COO(-)Na(+)) were studied by difference spectroscopy, zeta-potential data, and axisymmetric drop shape analysis. zeta-potential was used to monitor the formation of the HSA-C(7)F(15)COO(-)Na(+) complex and the surface charge of the complex. The conformational transition of HSA in the bulk solution was followed as a function of denaturant concentration by absorbance measurements at 280 nm. The data were analyzed to obtain values for the Gibbs energies of the transition in water (DeltaG(0)(W)) and in a hydrophobic environment (DeltaG(0)(hc)) pertaining to saturated protein-surfactant complexes. The conformational changes that surfactants induce in HSA molecules alter its absorption behavior at the air-water interface. Dynamic surface measurements were used to evaluate this behavior. At low [C(7)F(15)COO(-)Na(+)], proteins present three adsorption regimes: induction time, monolayer saturation, and interfacial gelation. When surfactant concentration increases and conformational changes in the bulk solution occur, the adsorption regimes disappear. HSA molecules in an intermediate conformational state migrate to the air-water interface and form a unique monolayer. At high [C(7)F(15)COO(-)Na(+)], the adsorption of denatured molecules exhibits a behavior analogous to that of dilute solutions.     

Sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy of leucine molecules adsorbed at air-water interface

Sum frequency vibrational spectroscopy was used to study adsorption of leucine molecules at air-water interface from solutions with different concentrations and pH values. The surface density and the orientation of the isopropyl head group of the adsorbed leucine molecules could be deduced from the measurements. It was found that the orientation depends on the surface density, but only weakly on bulk pH value at the saturated surface density. The vibrational spectra of the interfacial water molecules appeared to be strongly affected by the charge state of the adsorbed leucine molecules. Enhancement and inversion of polar orientation of interfacial water molecules by surface charges or field controllable by the bulk pH value were observed.     

Headgroup effects of template monolayers on the adsorption behavior and conformation of glucose oxidase adsorbed at air/liquid interfaces

Stearic acid (SA) and octadecylamine (ODA) monolayers at the air/liquid interface were used as template layers to adsorb glucose oxidase (GOx) from aqueous solution. The effect of the template monolayers on the adsorption behavior of GOx was studied in terms of the variation of surface pressure, the evolution of surface morphology observed by BAM and AFM, and the conformation of adsorbed GOx. The results show that the presence of a template monolayer can enhance the adsorption rate of GOx; furthermore, ODA has a higher ability, compared to SA, to adsorb GOx, which is attributed to the electrostatic attractive interaction between ODA and GOx. For adsorption performed on a bare surface or on an SA monolayer, the surface pressure approaches an equilibrium value (ca. 8 mN/m) after 2 to 3 h of adsorption and remains nearly constant in the following adsorption process. For the adsorption on an ODA monolayer, the surface pressure will increase further 1 to 2 h after approaching the first equilibrium pressure, which is termed the second adsorption stage. The measurement of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicates that the Langmuir-Blodgett films of adsorbed GOx transferred at the first equilibrium state (π = 8 mN/m) have mainly a β-sheet conformation, which is independent of the type of template monolayers. However, the ODA/GOx LB film transferred at the second adsorption stage has mainly an α-helix conformation. It is concluded that the specific interaction between ODA and GOx not only leads to a higher adsorption rate and adsorbed amount of GOx but also induces a conformation change in adsorbed GOx from β-sheet to α-helix. The present results indicate that is possible to control the conformation of adsorbed protein by selecting the appropriate template monolayer.     

Dynamics of adsorption of an oppositely charged polymer-surfactant mixture at the air-water interface: poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) and sodium dodecyl sulfate

The dynamic adsorption behavior of mixtures of the cationic polymer poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) [poly(dmdaac)] and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been studied at the expanding liquid surface of an overflowing cylinder. A combination of ellipsometry and external reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to measure the adsorbed amounts of poly(dmdaac) and SDS as a function of the bulk surfactant concentration for various polymer concentrations in the range 0-0.2 g dm-3. Laser Doppler velocimetry was used to determine the surface age, which was approximately 1 s for solutions where the polymer adsorbed. The interfacial behavior is rationalized in terms of competition between surface activity and mass transport to the expanding surface. At low surfactant concentrations, adsorption of both poly(dmdaac) and SDS is enhanced as a result of the formation in solution of polymer-surfactant complexes that are more surface active than either component alone. The rate of adsorption of these complexes is diffusion-controlled, and their interfacial composition remains constant at three dmdaac units per SDS molecule over a 5-fold change in the surfactant concentration. For the higher polymer concentrations studied, the complexes saturate the air-water interface: the adsorbed amount is independent of the polymer concentration and remains constant also over a factor of 5 in the surfactant concentration. Once the number of bound surfactant molecules per dmdaac monomer exceeds 0.3, the complexes begin to form large aggregates, which are not surface active due to their slower mass transport. The adsorbed amount decreases rapidly on approach to the equivalence point (one SDS molecule per dmdaac monomer), and when it is reached, only a very small amount of material remains at the interface. At still higher surfactant concentrations, the free SDS adsorbs but there is no adsorbed poly(dmdaac). The dynamic adsorption data are compared with equilibrium measurements of the same system by Staples et al. (Langmuir 2002, 18, 5147), which show very different surface compositions and no significant change in surface coverage at the equivalence point.     

Solvation of p-nitrophenol at a water/alkane interface: the role of ionic strength and salt identity

Second harmonic generation (SHG), a surface specific, nonlinear optical spectroscopy, was used to study the interfacial solvation of a neutral surfactant, p-nitrophenol (PNP), adsorbed to the water/cyclohexane interface in the presence of simple salts at varying salt concentrations. The purpose of this work was to determine what relationship (if any) exists between interfacial polarity and bulk solution ionic strength. Data show an apparent red shift in SHG spectra with an increase in salt anion size from fluoride to chloride to bromide at 1 M salt concentrations. A spectral red shift of the PNP electronic excitation implies an increase in local polarity. Within experimental limits, however, these observed interfacial spectral shifts mimic shifts in absorbance spectra observed for PNP in bulk electrolyte solutions. Given the similarities between bulk and surface behavior, we conclude that observed shifts in SHG spectra may be attributed to effects similar to those found in bulk solution. Additionally, the surface adsorption of PNP to the water/cyclohexane interface was studied to determine the surface distribution of PNP and the conjugate base, p-nitrophenoxide (PNP(-)), for a 10 mM PNP solution. PNP adsorption is favored over PNP(-) adsorption by a factor of 10, giving rise to an equilibrium surface distribution that is an order of magnitude greater than that found in bulk solution. These findings indicate that the amount of PNP(-) at the surface in an aqueous solution of 10 mM PNP is negligible.     

Adsorption of amyloid beta (1-40) peptide to phosphatidylethanolamine monolayers.

The aggregation of soluble, nontoxic amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide to beta-sheet containing fibrils is assumed to be a major step in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Interactions of Abeta with neuronal membranes could play a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Herein, we study the adsorption of synthetic Abeta peptide to DPPE and DMPE monolayers (dipalmitoyl- and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine). Both lipids exhibit a condensed monolayer state at 20 degrees C and form a similar lattice. However, at low packing densities (at large area per molecule), the length of the acyl chains determines the phase behavior, therefore DPPE is fully condensed whereas DMPE exhibits a liquid-expanded state with a phase transition at approximately 5-6 mNm(-1). Adsorption of Abeta to DPPE and DMPE monolayers at low surface pressure leads to an increase of the surface pressure to approximately 17 mNm(-1). The same was observed during adsorption of the peptide to a pure air-water interface. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) experiments show no influence of Abeta on the lipid structure. The adsorption kinetics of Abeta to a DMPE monolayer followed by IRRAS (infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy) reveals the phase transition of DMPE molecules from liquid-expanded to condensed states at the same surface pressure as for DMPE on pure water. These facts indicate no specific interactions of the peptide with either lipid. In addition, no adsorption or penetration of the peptide into the lipid monolayers was observed at surface pressures above 30 mNm(-1). IRRAS allows the measurement of the conformation and orientation of the peptide adsorbed to the air-water interface and to a lipid monolayer. In both cases, with lipids at surface pressures below 20 mNm(-1) and at the air-water interface, adsorbed Abeta has a beta-sheet conformation and these beta-sheets are oriented parallel to the interface.     

Roles of gamma-Globulin in the Dynamic Interfacial Behavior of Mixed Dipalmitoyl Phosphatidylcholine/gamma-Globulin Monolayers at Air/Liquid Interfaces

This study investigated the roles of gamma-globulin in the dynamic interfacial behavior of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/gamma-globulin monolayers at air/liquid interfaces at 25 degrees C. The surface tension behavior demonstrated that gamma-globulin had a large adsorption time scale. Moreover, the surface pressure-area hysteresis behavior of adsorbed gamma-globulin monolayers suggested that no significant desorption occurred during the compression stage, and the respreading of gamma-globulin molecules at the interface during the expansion stage was slow. From the hysteresis behavior of adsorbed gamma-globulin monolayers with spread DPPC molecules, it was found that gamma-globulin molecules were expelled from the interface as DPPC molecules were in a condensed state. The squeeze-out of gamma-globulin molecules seemed to induce the loss of DPPC molecules at the interface with the extent depending on the initial gamma-globulin surface concentration. Furthermore, the expelled gamma-globulin molecules re-entered the monolayer and participated in the surface pressure increase during the following expansion stage. The exclusion of gamma-globulin associated with the removal of DPPC during monolayer compression and the re-entry of gamma-globulin during subsequent monolayer expansion represented a mechanism for DPPC depletion and gamma-globulin enrichment at the interface, which may explain the inhibitory effect of certain proteins on the surface activity of DPPC. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Effect of the addition of polyelectrolytes on monolayers of carboxybetaines

We have studied the effect of the addition of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) polymers on the properties of monolayers formed by the adsorption of two carboxybetaines with different number of separation methylenes between their charged groups. Fluorescence and surface tension measurements indicate that above the critical aggregation concentration a surfactant-polymer complex of electrostatic origin is formed in bulk. The complexes have a negative charge that is repelled by the negative charge of the surfactant adsorbed at the interface; consequently, the monolayer seems to be exclusively formed by surfactant carboxybetaines. The high-frequency surface viscoelasticity of the monolayers was studied by surface dynamic light-scattering measurements. The behavior of the dilational elasticity and viscosity is explained by relaxation involving molecular reorientation within the adsorbed layer.     

19F fast magic-angle spinning NMR studies of perfluoroalkanoic acid self-assembled monolayers

The bonding and dynamic properties of perfluoroalkanoic acid self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on zirconia and titania powders were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and solid-state 19F magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. The perfluoro fatty acids investigated included C(n)F(2n+1)CO2H, n = 7, 13, 15 and 17. The acids bind to both metal oxides via ionic carboxylate bonds, but complete monolayers are only formed on the zirconia. The shift of the CF3 group from -83 ppm in the bulk state to -85 ppm for the adsorbed monolayers is assigned to CF3 groups located at the air/monolayer interface. With the exception of the perfluorooctanoic acid, 19F spin lattice relaxation measurements indicate that the fluorocarbon chains of the adsorbed acids, even in the case of densely packed monolayers, are significantly more mobile than those in the bulk state. The motions associated with the enhanced mobility of the adsorbed acids are proposed to involve reorientations along the long chain axes. No evidence for chain melting in the fluorocarbon SAMs is found for temperatures well above the melting temperature of the bulk acids.     

Evaporation studies on sodium dehydrocholate aqueous solutions

The evaporation through the air/solution interface of sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC) aqueous solutions was studied by surface tension and microbalance measurements. The evaporation rate was related to the aggregation processes in the bulk, but not with the adsorption monolayer compactness. Except for very dilute solutions the air/solution interface was saturated by NaDHC molecules, giving rise to a strongly nonideal monolayer. At very low concentration, the adsorbed monolayer behaved as an ideal two-dimensional gas. The results were in agreement with previous research results.     

Adsorption behavior of hydrophobin and hydrophobin/surfactant mixtures at the solid-solution interface

The adsorption of surface-active protein hydrophobin, HFBII, and HFBII/surfactant mixtures at the solid-solution interface has been studied by neutron reflectivity, NR. At the hydrophilic silicon surface, HFBII adsorbs reversibly in the form of a bilayer at the interface. HFBII adsorption dominates the coadsorption of HFBII with cationic and anionic surfactants hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, CTAB, and sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, at concentrations below the critical micellar concentration, cmc, of conventional cosurfactants. For surfactant concentrations above the cmc, HFBII/surfactant solution complex formation dominates and there is little HFBII adsorption. Above the cmc, CTAB replaces HFBII at the interface, but for SDS, there is no affinity for the anionic silicon surface hence there is no resultant adsorption. HFBII adsorbs onto a hydrophobic surface (established by an octadecyl trimethyl silane, OTS, layer on silicon) irreversibly as a monolayer, similar to what is observed at the air-water interface but with a different orientation at the interface. Below the cmc, SDS and CTAB have little impact upon the adsorbed layer of HFBII. For concentrations above the cmc, conventional surfactants (CTAB and SDS) displace most of the HFBII at the interface. For nonionic surfactant C(12)E(6), the pattern of adsorption is slightly different, and although some coadsorption at the interface takes place, C(12)E(6) has little impact on the HFBII adsorption.