Molecular simulation study on the self-assembly behaviors of zwitterionic heterogemini surfactant in aqueous solution

The self-assembly behaviors of a series of zwitterionic heterogemini surfactants C_mH_2m+1-PO^4–(CH₂)₂-N⁺(CH₃)₂-C_nH_2n+1, abbreviated as C_m-P-N-C_n (m, n?=?9, 9; 9, 12; 9, 15; 9, 18; 12, 12; 12, 15; 12, 18; 15, 15; 15, 18; 18, 18), have been investigated in aqueous solution by the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. Morphologies such as sphere (S), rod (R), planar grid (PG), lamella (L), honeycomb (H), one-, two-, and three-dimensional tunnels (1DT, 2DT, and 3DT) have been observed showing more diversities than those of the corresponding symmetric gemini surfactants C_m-N-N-C_m (m?=?9, 12, 15, 18). With the increase of surfactant concentration in the aqueous solution, a distinct transition path ‘‘S—R—PG—3DT—L—2DT—1DT’’ is proved to be common for all the C_m-P-N-C_n systems. Besides, the hydrophobic chain length has a significant influence on the self-assembly behaviors in the case of m?≠?n. Radial distribution function is an effective method to quantitatively evaluate the interaction and relationship between each functional group in the surfactant molecule and water. Results can provide a new insight into the self-assembly behaviors of zwitterionic heterogemini surfactants and the corresponding applications.     

Mesoscopic simulation of alkylimidazoline self-aggregation in aqueous solution

A dissipative particle-dynamics method was used to simulate the self-aggregation behavior of 15 alkylimidazoline surfactants of different structures. The effects of concentration and structure of hydrophilic and lipophilic groups of the alkylimidazolines on the configuration and aggregation number (N_agg) of the micelles were also explored. Results show that the concentration of the alkylimidazoline has a significant influence on the configuration of the micelles generated. More specifically, alkylimidazolines of different concentrations are found to generate different structures (spherical, rod-shaped, layered, and interlaced) in aqueous solution. At low (1–10?wt%) and medium (40?wt%) concentrations, the micelles generated in aqueous solution are spherical and rod-shaped, respectively. At higher concentrations (80?wt%), the micelles generated present interlaced shapes with rod-shaped and layered micelles when the length of the lipophilic chain is greater than C₁₃ or the hydrophilic group is H_c. N_agg is strongly dependent on alkylimidazoline concentration and increases as concentration increases. N_agg is also greatly dependent on the structure of the hydrophilic and lipophilic groups present: it increases as the chain length of the lipophilic group increases but decreases as that of the hydrophilic group increases.     

介观模拟方法研究高分子表面活性剂在水介质中的聚集行为

高分子表面活性剂已广泛应用于许多领域, 其构型复杂、分子量大等特点使其聚集行为不同于小分子表面活性剂. 从微观上认识其聚集行为可为应用提供指导, 因而此方面的研究倍受关注. 计算机模拟技术的发展使我们能成功地在微观或介观水平上获得高分子表面活性剂聚集行为的信息. 本文综述了耗散粒子动力学(DPD)和介观动力学(MesoDyn)在高分子表面活性剂聚集行为研究中的应用. 着重介绍了这两种介观模拟方法研究单一高分子表面活性剂溶液的相行为及其与低分子表面活性剂之间的相互作用, 揭示了实验中难以观测的微观相分离及聚集体结构形态的变化规律. 这些信息可以为实验研究提供指导和补充.     

Mesoscopic simulation of self-assembly in surfactant oligomers by dissipative particle dynamics

Self-assembling properties of surfactant oligomers in an aqueous medium is simulated by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). The critical micellar concentration (CMC) of dimeric (oligomerization = 2) and trimeric (oligomerization = 3) surfactant is much lower than their single-chain counterpart. All surfactants form spherical micelles at the concentration not far above their CMC. The transition from spherical to cylindrical micelles exhibits with increasing surfactant concentration. Lamellar micelles will appear with further increasing the surfactant concentration. For dimeric and trimeric surfactants, cylindrical micelles transform into extremely long “wormlike” or “threadlike” micelles before the transition to lamellar micelles. These results are in qualitative agreement with laboratory experiment. Average aggregation numbers (AN) of micelles increase with a power law of AN  c when the surfactant concentration c CMC. The self-diffusion coefficients will drop with a power law of D  c⁻ when wormlike micelles are formed.     

表面活性剂在溶液中聚集形态的动力学模拟

用耗散颗粒动力学模拟方法(DPD)展示了表面活性剂分子在溶液中的聚集形态，用扩散程度表征了表面活性剂溶液中的自组装情况。结果发现：这种分子动力学模拟方法能够直观地得到表面活性剂的聚集形态；随着表面活性剂的浓度增加，聚集形态依次从球状胶束、棒状或虫状胶束，六角状相，向层状相变化。     

Effect of imidazolium-based ionic liquids on the aggregation behavior of twin-tailed cationic gemini surfactant in aqueous solution

Micellization behavior of the twin-tailed surfactants can be modulated by the addition of various modifiers. Ionic liquids (ILs) are one of them and are documented here. The beauty of these environmentally benign neoteric molecules lies in their structural versatility. Here, we have investigated the effect of three ILs: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C₄mim][Br]), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C₆mim][Br]), and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C₈mim][Br]) on the aggregation and surface adsorption behavior of cationic gemini surfactant, bis(hexadecyldimethyl ammonium)propane dibromide (16-3-16) through experimentally measured electrical conductivities, surface tensions, and by spectral methods (UV-vis absorbance and fluorescence measurements). The main focus of the study is to observe the effect of added ILs on the critical micelle concentration (cmc), various surface parameters, aggregation number, and size of the aggregates of gemini surfactant. The results show that the more hydrophobic ILs, that is, [C₆mim][Br] and [C₈mim][Br] behave as electrolyte at lower concentration and cosurfactant at higher concentration, whereas moderately hydrophobic IL [C₄mim][Br] acts as an electrolyte at all concentration ranges studied. The modulating effects of ILs were also compared with conventional electrolyte (NaBr) at similar conditions.     

聚合物与表面活性剂相互作用的分子模拟研究进展

聚合物与表面活性剂复配体系已广泛应用于医药、生物、石油石化等领域。从微观上认识其相互作用机理对指导其生产实际有着重要作用,因而此方面的研究倍受关注。随着分子模拟技术的发展,聚合物与表面活性剂在分子水平上的相互作用机理研究已经被广泛开展,并获得了大量有用的信息。本文综述了耗散粒子动力学(DPD)和粗粒度分子动力学(CG-MD)在聚合物与表面活性剂相互作用方面的应用,分别对中性聚合物与离子型表面活性剂,以及带相反电荷的聚电解质和表面活性剂在溶液相和界面相的相互作用进行了阐述,并揭示了聚合物/表面活性剂聚集体结构形态的变化规律。     

The aggregation behavior of O-carboxymethylchitosan in dilute aqueous solution

O-Carboxymethylchitosan (OCMCS) is a kind of biocompatible derivatives of chitosan whose water solubility is strongly dependent on the degree of carboxymethylation. The OCMCS with 100 carboxymethyl groups and 75 amino groups per 100 anhydroglucosamine units of OCMCS was synthesized by the reaction of chitosan and monochloroacetic. When OCMCS was dissolved in water, its solution was neutral and OCMCS behaved like a weak polyanionic polyeclectrolyte because most of carboxylic groups were not dissociated in neutral aqueous solution. The aggregation behavior of OCMCS in aqueous solution was studied by surface tensiometry, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and viscometry. The critical aggregation concentration (cac) of OCMCS was determined to be between 0.042 mg/ml and 0.050 mg/ml. The possible aggregation mechanism of OCMCS in water was elucidated.     

Study on the Langmuir aggregation of fluorinated surfactants on protein

The microphase adsorption-spectral correction (MPASC) technique was described and applied to the study of the interactions of fluorinated surfactants such as potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and potassium perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) with human serum albumin (HSA). Sodium octanesulfonate (SOS) was also studied as non-fluorinated surfactant. The aggregation of PFOS, PFBS and SOS obeys the Langmuir monolayer adsorption. The results show that the adsorption ratios of surfactants to HSA are PFOS:HSA = 120:1, PFBS:HSA = 205:1 and SOS:HSA = 18:1. The adsorption constants are K_PFOS-HSA = 5.01 × 10³, K_PFBS-HSA = 9.79 × 10² and K_SOS-HSA = 4.03 × 10³. The detection limits are 2.7 mg/L for BSA using PFOS, 3.1 mg/L using PFBS and 3.1 mg/L using SOS. It was found that fluorinated surfactant exhibited stronger interaction with protein than hydrogenated one, and fluorinated surfactant with long hydrophobic chain exhibited stronger interaction with protein than that with short hydrophobic chain.     

Surface properties and aggregate morphology of partially fluorinated carboxylate-type anionic gemini surfactants

Three anionic homologues of a novel partially fluorinated carboxylate-type anionic gemini surfactant, N,N′-di(3-perfluoroalkyl-2-hydroxypropyl)-N,N′-diacetic acid ethylenediamine (2 edda, where n represents the number of carbon atoms in the fluorocarbon chain (4, 6, and 8)) were synthesized. In these present gemini surfactants, the relatively small carboxylic acid moieties form hydrophilic head groups. The surface properties or structures of the aggregates of these surfactants are strongly influenced by the nonflexible fluorocarbons and small head groups; this is because these surfactants have a closely packed molecular structure. The equilibrium surface tension properties of these surfactants were measured at 298.2 K for various fluorocarbon chain lengths. The plot of the logarithm of the critical micelle concentration (cmc) against the fluorocarbon chain lengths for 2 edda (n = 4, 6, and 8) showed a minimum for n = 6. Furthermore, the lowest surface tension of 2 edda at the cmc was 16.4 mN m⁻¹. Such unique behavior has not been observed even in the other fluorinated surfactants. Changes in the shapes and sizes of these surfactant aggregate with concentration were investigated by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM micrographs showed that in an aqueous alkali solution, 2 edda mainly formed aggregates with stringlike (n = 4), cagelike (n = 6), and distorted bilayer structures (n = 8). The morphological changes in the aggregates were affected by the molecular structure composed of nonflexible fluorocarbon chains and flexible hydrocarbon chains.     

Mesoscopic simulation on phase behavior of pluronic P123 aqueous solution

As a new dynamic density functional method, the mesoscopic dynamics (MesoDyn) is used to simulate the microphase separation of the binary mixture of tri-block copolymer P123 ((EO)20(PO)70(EO)20) and water. With a simple copolymer model, various aggregate structures of P123 in water including the micelle, hexagonal, and lamellar phases are produced, which can partly reproduce most experimental phase regions. The simulated phase ranges are more or less different from those established from experiment, especially at high polymer concentrations. This can be attributed to different phase mapping situations, that is, the constant shear used in simulation versus the varied external forces in experiment. The calculated trend for micelle size change in diluted region is co-incident well with previous observations in other Pluronic systems. The poly(propylene oxide) (PO) block amount is found to influence not only the aggregate morphology but also its formation rate in solution. Obtained results indicate that the mesoscopic simulation is a valuable tool to supplement the experimental study on aggregates formation.     

Influence of methanol on the phase behavior of nonionic fluorinated surfactant: Relation to the structure of mesoporous silica materials

We have investigated the effect of methanol addition on the R^F₈(EO)₉ and R^F₇(EO)₈ surfactant-based systems. While upon the addition of methanol the L₁ micellar phase grows, the direct hexagonal (H₁) and the lamellar (L_α) liquid crystals progressively melt with the increase of alcohol content. Phase behavior and SAXS measurements proved that methanol molecules interact with the oxyethylene units of the surfactant. This involves a folding up of the hydrophobic chains in the liquid crystal phases. Moreover, for the R^F₇(EO)₈ surfactant, the cloud point curve is shifted to high temperatures upon addition of alcohol. Starting from these systems, we have prepared mesoporous materials. Results show that due to the hydrogen bonds between the alcohol and the EO groups, the hexagonal structure of the mesostructured silica obtained from R^F₈(EO)₉ is lost when the content of CH₃OH is increased. In contrast, for the compounds prepared from the R^F₇(EO)₈-based system, the pore ordering occurs in the presence of alcohol. This phenomenon has been related to the moving of the cloud point curve toward high temperatures with the addition of methanol. Our study reveals also that under our conditions the methanol released during the hydrolysis of the silica precursor does not affect the self-assembly mechanism in a positive or negative way.     

Bonding strength of fluorinated and hydrogenated surfactant to bovine serum albumin

The interactions between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and different surfactants are investigated by the fluorescence technique. Pairs of fluorinated and hydrogenated surfactants with similar hydrophobic chain lengths including potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate and sodium octanesulfonate are studied in order to determine their interactions with BSA. The binding constants and thermodynamic parameters between BSA and different surfactants are compared and the main binding strength is determined. The mechanism of quenching and change of particle size gives rise to the binding force. Based on the FRET theory, the distances between potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate/sodium octanesulfonate and BSA are calculated and it is found that the fluorinated surfactant exhibits stronger interactions with proteins than the hydrogenated one, which is also proved by zeta potential and TEM.     

聚合物PVP与表面活性剂AOT相互作用的介观模拟

用耗散颗粒动力学模拟(DPD)方法研究了聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)与2-乙基己基琥珀酸酯磺酸钠(AOT)之间的相互作用.在三维模拟格子中,聚合物链均方末端距〈r²〉随着表面活性剂浓度的增加呈现一种首先减小,接着增加,然后又减小的趋势.构型和结构分析表明,AOT的加入能够引起聚合物链的二面角分布发生改变,这意味着AOT与PVP产生了相互作用.同时表面活性剂/聚合物体系的聚集形态也可以在DPD三维模拟格子中直观显现出来.     

Aggregation behavior of star-like PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer in aqueous solution

The aggregation behavior of a star-like amphiphilic block copolymer (denoted as AP432, which was synthesized via anionic polymerization), in aqueous solutions was investigated by surface tension, steady-state fluorescence, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). For comparison, a commercially available linear amphiphilic PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer, Pluronics L64, which has a similar PEO fraction to AP432, was also studied. It is found that the different molecular structure of AP432 and L64 leads to a significant difference on their behavior both at the air/water interface and in bulk aqueous solutions. The results of surface tension measurements indicate that the surface activity of AP432 is much more pronounced than that of L64. The formation of AP432 and L64 aggregates are identified by DLS, fluorescence and TEM measurement.     

Computer simulation studies of the miscibility of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-based blends

By means of the molecular dynamics simulation method, the miscibility of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/polyethylene (PHB/PE) blend has been investigated. Two glass transition temperatures of the PHB/PE are found by scrutinizing its volume-temperature curve, and this result is qualitatively in agreement with the experimental results. To further analyze the miscibility of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-based blends, the Flory-Huggins parameters of PHB/PE, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PHB/PEO), poly(ethylene oxide)/polyethylene (PEO/PE) have been calculated via a Monte Carlo scheme, and the morphology of the PHB/PEO and the PHB/PE blend has been simulated using dissipative particle dynamics method. The time evolution of dividing interface for PHB/PEO/PE blend shows a dynamic phase separation process. All these results indicate that PHB and PEO tend to mix together, whereas PE aggregates to form PE-rich domains in the PHB/PE and PHB/PEO/PE blends.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of the aggregation of colloidal particles

The spontaneous time evolution of systems containing N colloidal particles (N = 12, 24, 100) in a spherical cell of volume V at a constant volume fraction φ=0.1 was studied by a molecular dynamics method in the NVT ensemble. The starting velocities of the particles are allocated according to the Maxwell distribution at T=273 K.

Pairwise interaction of the particles was specified by molecular, electrostatic and elastic forces. The changes in the potential energy of the systems were calculated during the establishment of dynamic equilibrium. Coagulation takes place at sufficiently high values of the Hamaker constant. The value of the coefficient of Brownian diffusion, which is calculated from the half-time of coagulation, is found to be close to the known value for aqueous dispersions. The inclusion of electrostatic forces prevents coagulation.

The results obtained are in agreement with those obtained using theories of aggregate formation. Some structural characteristics of aggregates and stable systems are discussed.     

Investigations of Water Morphology in Reverse Micelles: Mesoscopic Simulation and IR Spectral Analysis

Abstract

A simple model, i.e., sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate [Aerosol OT (AOT)] represented by one‐head and two‐tail beads tied together by a harmonic spring and water or isooctane by one bead, was put forward via dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation method. According to the experimental AOT/water/isooctane system, the aggregates of simulated reverse micelle can be obtained in the three‐dimensional cell. Three types of water morphology, such as bound water, trapped water, and bulky water, were distinguished using the water isodensity slice in DPD simulation. The IR spectra experiment also showed three types of water in the same system. One conclusion is that DPD simulation can be considered as an adjunct to experiments and provide other valuable information for the experiment.     

Role of the tracer in characterizing the aggregation behavior of aqueous block copolymer solutions using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The hydrodynamic radii of micelles formed by amphiphilic poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline) diblock copolymers in aqueous solution determined using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) depend on the nature of the fluorescent tracer used. We have compared the values of the hydrodynamic radii of the unimers and the micelles as well as the critical micelle concentrations (CMC), using as tracers (1) the identical diblock copolymers being fluorescence-labeled at the hydrophilic or the hydrophobic block terminus [Bonné et al. Colloid Polym Sci (2004) 282:833–843], and (2) a low molar mass fluorescence dye, rhodamine 6G. Whereas similar values for the CMC were found for both probes, the hydrodynamic radius of micelles is significantly underestimated using a free dye as a tracer in FCS, especially near the CMC. We attribute this discrepancy to the fast exchange of the dye between micelles and solution.     

Phase equilibria and surfactant behavior of fluorinated ionic liquids with water

This work studies the phase equilibria and surfactant behavior of fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs) containing fluorinated chains equal to four carbons with water. The knowledge about the phase behavior is crucial for the applications of these novel FILs with tuneable properties. The phase equilibria of the binary mixtures FILs with water were studied at atmospheric pressure in a temperature range from (298.15 to 353.15) K. In this study, FILs containing ammonium, pyrrolidinium and imidazolium cations and the perfluorobutanesulfonate anion were included. The Non-Random Two Liquid (NRTL) thermodynamic model was successfully applied to rationalize the phase behavior of the binary (water + FILs) mixtures. Furthermore, the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) of these FILs, which present cations and/or anions with surfactant properties were also performed at T = 298.15 K by measurements of the ionic conductivity. Finally, the Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) was used with aim to determinate the size of the aggregates of these FILs in water.