Capillary pressure of van der Waals liquid nanodrops

The dependence of the surface tension on nanodrop radius is important for the new-phase formation process. It is demonstrated that the famous Tolman formula is not unique and the size-dependence of the surface tension can distinct for different systems. The analysis is based on a relationship between the surface tension and disjoining pressure in nanodrops. It is shown that the van der Waals interactions do not affect the new-phase formation thermodynamics since the effects of the disjoining pressure and size-dependent component of the surface tension cancel each other.     

Influence of Polyols and Glucose on the Surface Tension of Bovine <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-Lactalbumin in Aqueous Solution

The native conformation of a protein is controlled by intramolecular interactions between protein functional groups and intermolecular interactions between protein and solvent molecules that are dominant at low protein concentrations. It has been proposed that the stabilizing effect of polyols and sugars is a consequence of the increase in the surface tension of the solution resulting from the addition of osmolytes. In this work, a systematic study is presented concerning the effect of erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, inositol and glucose on the surface tension of α-lactalbumin in aqueous solution at 298.15 K. The results show that there is no general correlation between the surface tension of the solvent and a change in the denaturation temperature of holo-lactalbumin in the presence of polyols and glucose. However, for each of the osmolytes used, the change in denaturation temperature increases as the solvent’s surface tension becomes higher.     

Molecular simulation study of the effect of pressure on the vapor-liquid interface of the square-well fluid

We examine a model system to study the effect of pressure on the surface tension of a vapor-liquid interface. The system is a two-component mixture of spheres interacting with the square-well (A-A) and hard-sphere (B-B) potentials and with unlike (A-B) interactions ranging (for different cases) from hard sphere to strongly attractive square well. The bulk-phase and interfacial properties are measured by molecular dynamics simulation for coexisting vapor-liquid phases for various mixture compositions, pressures, and temperatures. The variation of the surface tension with pressure compares well to values given by surface-excess formulas derived from thermodynamic considerations. We find that surface tension increases with pressure only for the case of an inert solute (hard-sphere A-B interactions) and that the presence of A-B attractions strongly promotes a decrease of surface tension with pressure. An examination of density and composition profiles is made to explain these effects in terms of surface-adsorption arguments.     

Surface tension of lysozyme mixtures with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecylsulfate at water/air and water/octane interfaces

The effect of the concentration and composition of lysozyme-surfactant (cationic dodecyltrim-ethylammonium bromide and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate) mixtures on the surface tension at aqueous solution/air and aqueous solution/octane interphases is studied. It is established that the shape of surface tension isotherms for the mixed solutions depends on the character of interactions between the protein and surfactants.     

Surface tension and scaling of critical nuclei in diatomic and triatomic fluids

Density functional theory has been used to investigate surface tension and scaling of critical clusters in fluids consisting of diatomic and rigid triatomic molecules. The atomic sites are hard spheres with attractive interactions obtained from the tail part of the Lennard-Jones potential. Asymmetry in attractive interactions between the atomic sites has been introduced to cause molecular orientation and oscillatory density profiles at liquid-vapor interfaces. The radial dependence of cluster surface tension in fluids showing modest orientation in unimolecular layer at the interface or no orientation at all resembles the surface tension behavior of clusters in simple monoatomic fluids, although the surface tension maximum becomes more pronounced with increasing chain length of the molecule. Surface tension of clusters having multiple oscillatory layers at the interface shows a prominent maximum at small cluster sizes; however, the surface tension of large clusters is lower than the planar value. The scaling relation for the number of molecules in the critical cluster and the nucleation barrier height developed by McGraw and Laaksonen [Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 2754 (1996)] are well obeyed for fluids with little structure at liquid-vapor interface. However, fluids having enhanced interfacial structure show some deviation from the particle number scaling, and the barrier height scaling breaks up seriously.     

THE MECHANICAL VIEW OF THE SURFACE TENSION IS FALSE

The concept of surface tension is usually introduced as a force per unit length originated from the “stress tensor” at the liquid surface (and vaguely extended to solids). This mechanical model of the surface tension, a paradigm for many workers in the field, is wrong. The inferences from the model, however, are correct in the more common uses. Some contradictions may appear but not sufficient to abandon such a simple and intuitive concept. The origin of the surface tension, of a liquid or solid surface, is in the molecular interactions, when some other phase is put in contact with such a surface. Recent developments using the surface tension components allow to predict interfacial surface tensions and to measure surface tension of solids. Although the power of this approach is evident, its use is only incipient because some results, particularly the presence of negative interfacial tensions, are difficult to interpret using the erroneous vision of surface tension as a consequence of a “stress tensor” at the liquid (or solid) surface. We present here some properties of liquids useful to fundament the concept of surface tension and briefly refer to Laplace's equation, Young's equation and capillarity, attempting to correct some misinterpretations.     

Contact angle interpretation in terms of solid surface tension

Recent experimental (low-rate) dynamic contact angles for 14 solid surfaces are interpreted in terms of their solid surface tensions. Universality of these experimental contact angle patterns is illustrated; other reasons that can cause data to deviate from the patterns are discussed. It is found that surface tension component approaches do not reflect physical reality. Assuming solid surface tension is constant for one and the same solid surface, experimental contact angle patterns are employed to deduce a functional relationship to be used in conjunction with the Young equation to determine solid surface tensions. The explicit form of such a relation is obtained by modifying Berthelot’s rule together with experimental data; essentially constant solid surface tension values are obtained, independent of liquid surface tension and molecular structure. A new combining rule is also derived based on an expression similar to one used in molecular theory; such a combining rule should allow a better understanding of the molecular interactions between unlike solid–liquid pairs.     

Composition of Surface Layer at the Water–Air Interface and Micelles of Triton X-100 + Rhamnolipid Mixtures

Measurements of the surface tensions, densities and viscosities of aqueous solutions of Triton X-100 (TX-100) and rhamnolipid (RL) mixtures, at constant concentration of RL or TX-100, were carried out. The measured values of the surface tension were compared to those determined using different theoretical models and on the basis of the surface tension of aqueous solutions of individual surfactants. From the surface tension isotherms, the Gibbs surface excess concentration of TX-100 and RL, the composition of surface layer and the standard Gibbs free energy of adsorption at the water–air interface were determined. Moreover, on the basis of surface tension, density and viscosity isotherms, the CMC of surfactants mixtures were evaluated. From the density isotherms, apparent and partial molar volumes of TX-100 and RL were also determined. These volumes were compared to those calculated from the sizes of TX-100 and RL molecules. There was observed a synergetic effect in the reduction of water surface tension and micelle formation, which was confirmed by the intermolecular interactions parameter. In the case of micelle formation, this effect was discussed based on the standard Gibbs free energy of micellization as well as of TX-100 and RL mixing in the micelles. The synergism of TX-100 and RL mixtures in the reduction of water surface tension and micelle formation was explained on the basis of electrostatic interactions between the hydrophilic part of TX-100 and RL molecules; this was supported by pH measurements.     

Interface between ionic and nonionic liquids: theoretical study

We use a Flory-Huggins type approach to calculate the structure and the surface tension coefficient of the boundary between ionic and nonionic liquids. The mixture of ionic and nonionic liquids is treated as a "three-component" system including anions, cations, and neutral molecules. We show that if the affinities of the cations and the anions to the neutral molecules are different, the interface comprises an electric double layer. The presence of this layer (uncompensated electric field) stabilizes the interface: the field inhibits the ions segregation at the interface and increases the surface tension. On the other hand, the short-range volume interactions promote the segregation and decrease the surface tension. Furthermore, the surface tension coefficient can be negative, if the difference of the affinities is high enough. It implies a possibility of microphase separation of the system.     

Surface wetting in liquid-liquid-solid triphase systems: solid-phase-independent transition at the liquid-liquid interface by lewis Acid-base interactions

Interfacial phenomena: A solid-phase-independent strategy for tuning the surface wettability is presented. Lewis acid-base interactions at the oil-water interface can greatly decrease the liquid-liquid interfacial tension and induce oleophilic to superoleophobic wetting transition on a nonresponsive microstructured surface.     

支链化阳离子和甜菜碱表面活性剂对聚四氟乙烯表面润湿性的影响

利用座滴法研究了支链化阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基羟丙基氯化铵(C₁₆GPC)和两性离子表面活性剂十六烷基羧酸甜菜碱(C₁₆GPB)在聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)表面上的吸附机制和润湿性质, 考察了表面活性剂浓度对表面张力、接触角、粘附张力、固液界面张力和粘附功的影响趋势. 研究发现, 低浓度条件下, 表面活性剂疏水支链的多个亚甲基基团与PTFE表面发生相互作用, 分子以平躺的方式吸附到固体界面; 支链化表面活性剂形成胶束的阻碍较大, 浓度大于临界胶束浓度(cmc)时, C₁₆GPC和C₁₆GPB分子在固液界面上继续吸附, 与PTFE作用的亚甲基基团减少, 分子逐渐直立, 固液界面自由能(γ_sl)明显降低. 对于支链化的阳离子和甜菜碱分子, 接触角均在浓度高于cmc后大幅度降低.     

Study of molecular interactions between lipids and proteins using dynamic surface tension measurements: a review

Molecular interactions between small molecules and proteins, such as binding of lipids to proteins, are of fundamental importance in various biological processes. A recently-developed method based on dynamic surface tension measurement is efficient and versatile in detecting such molecular interactions: Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) provides a tool for measuring the surface tension (γ) response to surface area changes. Through the analysis of the γ response pattern, surface competitive adsorption between small organic molecules and protein molecules can be detected. Surface squeeze-out of small molecules by proteins can also be observed. Molecular binding of lipids to proteins manifests itself in a modification of the γ response which is not compatible with a simple superposition of the two individual patterns. The specific binding can be studied in terms of dose effects and specificity.     

Mixed aggregate formation in gemini surfactant/1,2-dialkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine systems

An evaluation of the physical interactions between gemini surfactants, DNA, and 1,2-dialkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine helper lipid is presented in this work. Complexation between gemini surfactants and DNA was first investigated using surface tensiometry where the surface tension profiles obtained were found to be consistent with those typically observed for mixed surfactant-polymer systems; that is, there is a synergistic lowering of the surface tension, followed by a first (CAC) and second (CMC) break point in the plot. The surfactant alkyl tail length was observed to exhibit a significant effect on the CAC, thus demonstrating the importance of hydrophobic interactions during complexation between gemini surfactants and DNA. The second study presented is an investigation of the mixing interactions between gemini surfactants and DOPE using Clint's, Rubingh's, and Motomura's theories for mixed micellar formation. The mixing interactions between the 16-3-16/16-7-16/16-12-16/16-7NH-16 gemini surfactants and DOPE were observed to be antagonistic, where the strength of antagonism was found to be dependent upon the gemini surfactant spacer group and the solution composition.     

Solvent effects on chemical processes. 3. Surface tension of binary aqueous organic solvents

The surface tension of binary solvents is modelled by analogy to solvation effects arising from solvent-solute interactions. Competitive exchange equilibria are postulated between solvent component I (water) and solvent component 2 (organic cosolvent) for solute, which in this case is air; the solvation shell is thus the surface phase. A quantitative relationship is given between surface tension and mole fractions x₁ and x₂, the model parameters being exchange equilibrium constants K₁ and K₂. The equation is analyzed, it is applied to literature surface tension data, and it is compared with an earlier model from this laboratory. Curve-fits are very good, and the parameters appear to possess physical significance.     

Molecular interactions in a surfactant-water-polyacrylamide system, according to densimetry, viscometry, conductometry, and spectroscopy data

Molecular interactions in a surfactant-polyacrylamide-water system are investigated. It is established that the interactions affect such physicochemical parameters of the system as viscosity, density, surface tension, conductivity, and critical micelle concentration. It is shown that in a polyacrylamide-water system, raising the polyacrylamide concentration to 0.02% causes conformational changes in its macromolecule.     

Surface potential and surface tension of aqueous 2-halogenoethanol-ethanol solutions

The surface properties of aqueous 2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-, 2-bromoethanol-ethanol mixtures were studied by surface tension measurements, applying the drop weight method, and by surface potential using the flowing jet method. The addition of ethanol to 2-halogenoethanol solutions causes a synergetic effect on surface tension. In the case of surface potential the synergetic influence exists only in the mixtures of ethanol-2-fluoroethanol. The studies on the surface interactions of the adsorbed molecules of particular components in the mixed film were carried out by the Rosen and Hua method. The weak interaction between adsorbed molecules was observed.     

Viscosity, Surface Tension, and Refractive Index Measurements of Mixtures of Isomeric Butanediols with Water

Solution properties of aqueous mixtures of isomeric butanediols have been investigated employing viscosity, surface tension, and index of refraction measurements as functions of temperature. The deviation of viscosity, surface tension, and molar refraction from ideal solution behavior is evaluated from the experimental data. The deviation from ideality is discussed in terms of molecular interactions between the components. Surface activity of the diols is evident from the surface tension measurements. It is found that the degree of hydrophobicity of the diols varies in the order 1,2 > 2,3 > 1,3 > 1,4. The strength of interaction of diols with the water varies in the order 2,3 > 1,4 1,3 > 1,2.     

A Home-made Simple Set-up for Measurement of Electrochemical Surface Tension Spectrum on a Mercury Drop Electrode

A setup for recording surface tension curves at a mercury drop during potential scanning is designed based on photo-sensitive detection system. Surface tension spectrum at Hg drop can be recorded by voltammetric study. A Yb(III)-NO2- catalytic reduction system was used for characterization. The simple, sensitive technique can be expected to provide fresh information on molecular interactions at electrode surfaces.