单一非离子表面活性剂制备胶质气体泡沫的稳定性

用单一的十二烷基醇聚氧乙烯醚(C12EOn)非离子表面活性剂制备了稳定的胶质气体泡沫(CGA). 采用偏光显微镜和流变仪对其表面活性剂溶液相态和泡沫体系的微观结构及流变行为进行研究, 以探索CGA的稳定化机理. 实验结果表明, 分别由C12EO3和C12EO5制备的CGA分散体系中均存在层状液晶相, 层状液晶吸附在气泡的界面上. CGA稳定性可达20 h以上, 没有明显的相分离发生. 而分别由C12EO7和C12EO9制备的CGA呈现由胶束组成的连续相, 不存在液晶相结构, 因而其稳定性较差, 仅能维持数分钟. 实验结果表明, 层状液晶相结构可以显著提高CGA的稳定性. 其稳定作用的机理是通过影响泡沫排液过程, 增强Gibbs-Marangoni效应, 从而提高气泡液膜强度和减缓气相扩散速率.     

表面活性剂疏水链长对高温下泡沫稳定性的影响

选用不同疏水链长的α-烯烃磺酸盐(AOS)形成泡沫, 分别用泡沫衰减法和泡沫岩芯封堵法测定不同温度下的泡沫稳定性, 并采用动态表面张力、界面流变、分子模拟等方法研究了表面活性剂在气/液界面的吸附行为和界面吸附层的性质, 分析了高温下泡沫的稳定机制. 实验结果表明, 在高温下, 极性头的“锚定作用”减弱, 表面活性剂疏水链难以在气液界面保持以直立状态吸附, 疏水链碳数大于20的表面活性剂分子难以分立吸附, 其疏水链相互交叉缠绕, 增强了泡沫膜的强度, 减缓了气体通过液膜的扩散, 形成的泡沫在高温下具有较好的稳定性.     

气相二氧化硅/季铵Gemini表面活性剂稳定的泡沫体系

以zeta电位法研究了季铵Gemini表面活性剂亚甲基-α, ω-双(十二烷基二甲基溴化铵) (12-s-12, s=2, 6)在水溶液中修饰气相二氧化硅(F-SiO₂)粒子。这些粒子随表面活性剂浓度C增加经历了表面从原先的亲水到疏水再重新亲水的改变,其中疏水粒子可以自发吸附在气泡液膜中,从而很好地稳定泡沫。重新亲水的粒子脱附出液膜,仅留下表面活性剂稳定气泡。强的液膜弹性对应于稳定的泡沫。联接链长度影响了Gemini在F-SiO₂粒子表面的吸附,因而也影响了液膜的弹性和对泡沫的稳定。超短s=2联接链的12-2-12由于反离子解离不完全而带有较少的正电荷,在粒子表面的初始吸附弱于12-6-12,但因此减少了吸附分子头基间的静电排斥,可以形成更致密的吸附层。由于12-2-12本身比12-6-12具有更强的界面吸附能力,F-SiO₂粒子和12-2-12的协同作用可以更好地稳定泡沫体系。     

泡沫液膜的分子动力学模拟及泡沫析液机制的研究

采用分子动力学MD方法模拟表面活性剂稳定的泡沫液膜,通过分析表面活性剂头基与水分子的径向分布函数,分析泡沫液膜中水分子的状态,对结合水、捕获水进行定量;采用电导法测定不同表面活性剂稳定的泡沫的析液曲线,结合分子模拟结果,分析泡沫析液的微观机制,建立泡沫析液量随时间变化的物理模型,给出了模型参数的物理意义.     

分子模拟方法考察泡沫生成能力

采用分子模拟的方法研究表面活性剂的泡沫生成能力, 以界面形成能作为考察泡沫体系中液膜界面积的量化依据, 研究了泡沫液膜厚度、表面活性剂分子界面密度以及表面活性剂类型对泡沫液膜界面形成能计算的影响. 通过与实验结果相对应, 建立了界面形成能和泡沫生成能力之间的联系.     

不同结构芳香侧链酰基牛磺酸钠的表面扩张性质

利用悬挂滴方法研究了N-(α-苯氧基)十四酸牛磺酸钠(12+B-T)和N-(α-对乙基苯氧基)十四酸牛磺酸钠(12+2B-T)在空气/水表面上的动态扩张粘弹性质, 考察了时间、扩张频率及摩尔浓度对扩张模量和相角的影响, 测定了不同摩尔浓度条件下的泡沫性能. 研究发现: 低浓度条件下, 表面分子间相互作用决定表面活性剂吸附膜的性质, 膜以弹性为主; 高浓度条件下, 扩散交换过程起主导作用, 吸附膜表现出粘弹特性. 表面活性剂芳环支链上增加一个乙基, 分子间相互作用增强, 扩张模量增大, 泡沫更加稳定.     

Gemini表面活性剂乙烷基-α,ω-双十四烷基二甲基溴化铵产生的高稳定泡沫

报道了由gemini表面活性剂乙烷基-α,ω-双十四烷基二甲基溴化铵(14-2-14)产生的高稳定泡沫体系.泡沫塌陷到初始高度一半所对应的时间(t1/2)用来表征泡沫的稳定性.测得14-2-14体系的t1/2高达961min,远大于乙烷基-α,ω-双十二烷基二甲基溴化铵(12-2-12)产生泡沫的t1/2(754min),表明带有一根短联接链和两条长尾链的gemini表面活性剂是高效的泡沫稳定剂.为了揭示界面弹性与泡沫稳定性之间的关联,测量了表面活性剂吸附膜的扩张流变行为.在指定的表面过剩量下,吸附膜的高频极限弹性再一次被发现与泡沫稳定性相关,较大的极限弹性很好地对应更加稳定的泡沫.     

Janus颗粒的制备及泡沫性能

通过改进的Pickering乳液模板法,对合成的单分散Si O2纳米颗粒的局部表面进行氟化硅烷改性,制备了具有两亲性的Janus颗粒;研究了其在气/液表面上的自组装行为和泡沫性能.采用粒度分析仪、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)、荧光显微镜、界面流变仪和泡沫扫描分析仪等对Si O2颗粒的粒径分布、石蜡乳滴的表面形貌以及Janus颗粒的化学组成、表面结构、界面活性和泡沫性能进行了表征.研究结果表明,制备的Janus颗粒表面呈现非对称结构.界面活性测试结果表明,Janus颗粒具有良好的界面活性,可以将气/水表面的表面张力降低至38 m N/m.泡沫性能测试结果表明,Janus颗粒能够有效地抑制气泡合并、歧化和液膜排液,所制备的泡沫具有良好的稳定性.     

硫化物-高分子复合微球表面形貌与模板组成关系的研究

以N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)和甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为单体, 通过反相悬浮聚合法制备了多种MAA含量不同的阴离子型P(NIPAM-co-MAA)共聚微凝胶. 以这些共聚微凝胶为模板, 在不同表面活性剂存在下, 合成了一系列CuS(CdS、ZnS)-P(NIPAM-co-MAA)无机-有机复合微球材料, 研究了表面活性剂种类, 模板组成等因素对上述硫化物-高分子复合微球表面形貌的影响. 结果表明, 实验条件下所得复合微球表面均具有图案化结构, 该结构明显依赖于表面活性剂的种类和模板微凝胶的组成. 就模型体系而言, 随表面活性剂Span-20、Span-80和Span-85的HLB(亲水亲油平衡)值降低, 微球表面形貌趋于粗糙, 但仍然十分规整; 就模板组成而言, 模板中MAA含量增加使得复合微球的表面形貌变得更加精细. 据此, 认为通过选用合适的表面活性剂和微凝胶模板可以在一定范围内调控这些无机-有机复合微球的表面形貌, 从而为后续应用研究奠定基础.     

胆固醇对卵磷脂囊泡稳定性的影响

采用透射电子显微镜研究了Gemini表面活性剂诱导卵磷脂囊泡结构改变的机理, 用Langmuir膜天平研究卵磷脂和胆固醇的不溶单分子混合膜在气-液界面的行为和混合膜分子间的相互作用, 并结合动态光散射技术和停留法探讨胆固醇对Gemini表面活性剂诱导卵磷脂囊泡结构改变的影响. 从电镜结果可以推测带正电荷的Gemini表面活性剂分子会嵌入到带负电荷的卵磷脂囊泡双分子层的外层, 囊泡的双分子层之间的相互吸引力使双分子层的厚度减少, 由于嵌入的表面活性剂分子在囊泡的双分子层中分布是不均匀的, 这种分布的不均匀性必然会导致双分子层厚度的不均匀, 从而使囊泡破裂. 混合膜的过剩面积和动力学结果表明, 胆固醇和卵磷脂是相互吸引的, 即胆固醇的加入使卵磷脂囊泡更不容易被表面活性剂破坏.     

Role of liquid crystal in the emulsification of a gel emulsion with high internal phase fraction

A gel emulsion with high internal oil phase volume fraction was formed via an inversion process induced by a water–oil ratio change. The process involved the formation of intermediate multiple emulsions prior to inversion. The multiple emulsions contain a liquid crystal formed by the surfactant with water; this was both predicted by the equilibrium phase diagram as well as observed using polarization microscopy. These multiple emulsions were more stable compared to alternative multiple emulsions prepared in the same way with a surfactant that does not form liquid crystals. While the formation of a stable intermediate multiple emulsion may not be a necessary condition for the inversion to occur, the transitional presence of a liquid crystal proved to be a significant factor in the stabilization of the intermediate multiple emulsions. The resulting gel emulsion contained a small fraction of the liquid crystal according to the phase diagram, and it exhibited excellent stability.     

P NMR investigation of a ringing gel phase and adjacent phases

The temperature-surfactant concentration phase diagram was examined for the dodecyltrimethylammonium dimethylphosphate/3-methyl-3-methoxybutanol/water ternary system. The phase diagram contained a highly elastic gel phase which is known as a “ringing gel phase”. The ringing gel phase and adjacent phases in the ternary system were investigated by polarized optical microscopy, freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy, and ³¹P NMR. Globular textures were observed in an optically isotropic gel phase. Since the globules were larger than those found in an isotropic solution, the texture consists of domains of aggregated units in the cubic (I₁) phase. Structure units of domains are equivalent to microemulsions which are constructed by surfactant molecules and swollen by alcohol in the isotropic (L₁) phase. Characteristic polarized microscopic textures were visualized in two phases with higher surfactant concentrations. These phases were identified as being hexagonal (H₁) and lamellar (L) liquid crystals which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The ³¹P NMR signal of the ringing gel showed a sharp singlet the same as that of the L₁ phase, indicating the fully averaged anisotropic interaction of the aggregates. The characteristic NMR signals of the anisotropic hexagonal and lamellar liquid crystal phases displayed chemical shielding with an asymmetric lineshape.     

Stability versus phase ratios of geranyl acetate three-phase emulsions

Three-phase geranyl acetate emulsions stabilized by a non-ionic surfactant, Laureth 4, were prepared with a constant weight fraction of a lamellar liquid crystal and varied aqueous to oil phase weight ratios according to the phase diagram. The appearance and micrographs of the drop pattern versus time were recorded. As expected, emulsions with the lower values of the water to oil (W/O) ratio appeared to be of the W/O variety while the two more stable emulsions with the highest W/O ratio appeared as oil to water (O/W). Considering the surfactant exclusive solubility in the oil, this result was unexpected and the emulsions were investigated as to their structure. Unpredictably, all the emulsions were of the O/W kind; including the highest ratio of oil to water. The reason for this unanticipated outcome was the lamellar liquid crystal being dispersed into the aqueous phase at the slightest perturbation.     

Initial inter-phase transport of compounds in a model emulsion system

Three-phase geranyl acetate emulsions stabilized by a non-ionic surfactant, Laureth 4, were prepared with a constant weight fraction of a lamellar liquid crystal and varied aqueous to oil phase weight ratios according to the phase diagram. The appearance and micrographs of the drop pattern versus time were recorded. As expected, emulsions with the lower values of the water to oil (W/O) ratio appeared to be of the W/O variety while the two more stable emulsions with the highest W/O ratio appeared as oil to water (O/W). Considering the surfactant exclusive solubility in the oil, this result was unexpected and the emulsions were investigated as to their structure. Unpredictably, all the emulsions were of the O/W kind; including the highest ratio of oil to water. The reason for this unanticipated outcome was the lamellar liquid crystal being dispersed into the aqueous phase at the slightest perturbation.     

Lyotropic liquid crystal phase behaviour of the zwitterionic surfactants 4-n-tridecyl- and 4-n-heptadecyl-pyridinium N-oxide in water

The phase behaviour, liquid crystal structures and head group hydration of two 4-n-alkylpyridine-N-oxide surfactants have been studied using optical microscopy, DSC and ²H NMR spectroscopy. Only a limited swelling of the surfactant phase occurs in water, so that no micellar solution phase (L₁) occurs. The lamellar phase is the only mesophase observed. Water (²H) quadrupole splittings indicate that the head group binds c. 6 water molecules.     

Microstructure and stability of a lamellar liquid crystalline and gel phase formed by a polyglycerol ester mixture in dilute aqueous solution

The self-assembly behavior of a commercial mixture of polyglycerol fatty acid esters (PGE) and water is investigated as a function of temperature and surfactant content. The phase diagram of this pseudo-binary mixture was characterized using a combination of cross-polarized light and freeze-fracture electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Our experiments show that the morphology of the supramolecular aggregates is lamellar and present in the form of a continuous or dispersed phase (multilamellar vesicles) depending on the water content of the system. Under the effect of temperature, the short- and long-range order of the bimolecular layers successively changes from a biphasic surfactant dispersion to a lamellar liquid-crystalline (Lalpha) and a stable lamellar gel phase (Lbeta) upon cooling; this transition is found to be irreversible. Formation of the lamellar aggregates can be related to the average molecular structure and shape factor of PGE. The stability of the resulting gel phase (Lbeta) appears to be due to the presence of small amounts of unreacted ionic co-surfactant, namely, fatty acid soaps, in this per se nonionic commercial mixture.     

溶致液晶中金属纳米粒子的掺杂及其作用机制研究

在用琥珀酸二异辛酯磺酸钠(AOT)构建的具有长程有序结构的层状溶致液晶内, 用不同方式导入预制的亲油或亲水贵金属纳米粒子, 可得到纳米粒子分布在不同介观空间内的无机/有机杂合体. 依据小角X射线散射和偏光显微镜结果, 通过分析掺杂纳米粒子与液晶模板的相互作用, 对掺杂前后体系结构的变化及制得杂合体的稳定性进行了表征. 结果表明, 除考虑掺杂粒子与层状模板空间的匹配外, 体系中静电斥力、范德华引力和Helfrich涨落力之间的平衡是维持液晶结构稳定的基本条件.     

Polymerizable surfactant design for transmission electron microscopy

Polymerized liposomes and vesicles are under close scrutiny as long-lived, stable substitutes for their natural and synthetic unpolymerized counterparts. The monomer surfactant, which contains one or more polymerizable groups, is dispersed in water at the proper temperature and concentration to form the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase of interest and polymerized while in the liquid crystalline state. In addition to their applications to slow-release and site-specific drug delivery, membrane-mediated chemistry, artificial photosynthesis, etc., polymerized surfactant liposomes and vesicles hold great promise as model systems for TEM investigations of lamellar liquid crystal structure. One such model polymerizable surfactant is DBPAl, or N,N-dimethyl-N,N-bis(1,3-pentadecadienyl-carbonyloxyethyl) ammonium iodide. Polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirm that DBPAI forms lamellar liquid crystalline liposomes in water. The DBPAI liposomes were polymerized while in the liquid crystalline state by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The DBPAI liposomes were shown to be identical in structure before and after polymerization by a combination of X-ray diffraction and freeze-fracture TEM. However, turbidity measurements showed that the polymerized DBPAI liposomes were much more stable in acetone and ethanol than the monomer DBPAI liposomes, demonstrating that the chemical nature of the surfactant in the liposome had changed. The combination of structural preservation and enhanced chemical stability makes DBPAI a natural choice for TEM thin-sections. A method of preparing DBPAI liposomes for thin-section TEM is outlined and bilayer resolution images of the DBPAI liposomes are presented. Polymerized bilayers in thin-section TEM promise the enhanced resolution required to answer many important structural questions left unresolved by freeze-fracture TEM.     

Gelled emulsions with a high water content

The structure of a gel containing 99% water, 0.5% of a nonionic surfactant and 0.5% of a hydrocarbon was investigated by analysis of its equilibrium phases and their state of dispersion by liquid helium freeze fracture electron microscopy.The gel consisted of aqueous droplets of micron size separated by a thin membrane of a lamellar liquid crystal and a W/O microemulsion with droplets varying between 200 and 1000 Å in diameter.