Complexes of surfactants with oppositely charged polymers at surfaces and in bulk

Thermodynamics, interfacial pressure isotherms and dilational rheology of mixed protein-surfactant adsorption layers

Proteins and their mixtures with surfactants are widely used in many applications. The knowledge of their solution bulk behavior and its impact on the properties of interfacial layers made great progress in the recent years. Different mechanisms apply to the formation process of protein/surfactant complexes for ionic and non-ionic surfactants, which are governed mainly by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The surface activity of these complexes is often remarkably different from that of the individual protein and has to be considered in respective theoretical models. At very low protein concentration, small amounts of added surfactants can change the surface activity of proteins remarkably, even though no strongly interfacial active complexes are observed. Also small added amounts of non-ionic surfactants change the surface activity of proteins in the range of small bulk concentrations or surface coverages. The modeling of the equilibrium adsorption behavior of proteins and their mixtures with surfactants has reached a rather high level. These models are suitable also to describe the high frequency limits of the dilational viscoelasticity of the interfacial layers. Depending on the nature of the protein/surfactant interactions and the changes in the interfacial layer composition rather complex dilational viscoelasticities can be observed and described by the available models. The differences in the interfacial behavior, often observed in literature for studies using different experimental methods, are at least partially explained by a depletion of proteins, surfactants and their complexes in the range of low concentrations. A correction of these depletion effects typically provides good agreement between the data obtained with different methods, such as drop and bubble profile tensiometry.

Polymer-surfactant systems in bulk and at fluid interfaces

The interest of polymer-surfactant systems has undergone a spectacular development in the last thirty years due to their complex behavior and their importance in different industrial sectors. The importance can be mainly associated with the rich phase behavior of these mixtures that confers a wide range of physico-chemical properties to the complexes formed by polymers and surfactants, both in bulk and at the interfaces. This latter aspect is especially relevant because of the use of their mixture for the stabilization of dispersed systems such as foams and emulsions, with an increasing interest in several fields such as cosmetic, food science or fabrication of controlled drug delivery structures. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of different aspects related to the phase behavior of these mixtures and their intriguing behavior after adsorption at the liquid/air interface. A discussion of some physical properties of the bulk is also included. The discussion clearly points out that much more work is needed for obtaining the necessary insights for designing polymer-surfactant mixtures for specific applications.

Selective co-deposition of anionic silica particles at hydrophobic surfaces from formulations of oppositely charged polymers and surfactants

The surface-selective surface deposition of anionic hydrophilic silica particles from aqueous polymer-surfactant formulations was investigated by in-situ null-ellipsometry. The formulations, with or without silica particles, contained anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and a cationic polymer, cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (cat-HEC) or a copolymer of acrylamide and methacrylamidopropyl trimethylammonium chloride (AAm/MAPTAC). Surface deposition from the formulations onto model surfaces of either anionic hydrophilic, or hydrophobized, silica was induced by controlled dilution of the formulations into the coacervation region, and was monitored with time by ellipsometry. The dilution simulated a rinsing process in a typical application. In all cases a steady-state surface layer remained after extensive dilution. An enhanced deposition from the silica-containing formulations was found on the hydrophobized silica surface, indicating a substantial co-deposition of silica particles. Much less co-deposition, or none at all, was found on hydrophilic silica. The opposite trend, enhanced co-deposition on hydrophilic silica, was previously found in similar experiments with hydrophobic silicone oil droplets as co-deposants (Clauzel et al., 2011). The amphiphilic cationic polymers evidently favor a "mismatched" co-deposition of anionic particles to hydrophobic surfaces, or vice versa. The findings suggest a strategy for surface-specific delivery of particles to surfaces.

Mesoscopic Simulations on the Aggregate Behavior of Oligomeric Adamantane Surfactants in Aqueous Solutions

Oligomeric adamantane surfactants are novel surfactants using rigid adamantane as spacer group, which can form a variety of scales and shapes of micelles and aggregates in aqueous solution. In this paper, the self-assembling aggregate behavior of N,N-dimethyl dodecyl ammonium bromide adamantine [Ad-(NC12Br)], 1,3-di(N,N-dimethyl dodecyl ammonium bromide) adamantine [Ad-(NC12Br)2] and 1,3,5-tri-(N,N-dimethyl dodecyl ammonium bromide) adamantine [Ad-(NC12Br)3] in aqueous solution is studied by mesoscopic simulations of dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). The simulation results show that the critical micelle concentrations of the three adamantane oligomeric surfactants is in the order of [Ad-(NC12Br)3] < [Ad-(NC12Br)2] < [Ad-(NC12Br)]. The three oligomeric adamantane surfactants are able to form aggregates with a variety of spatial structures, such as spherical micelles, vesicles, lamellas, reticular lamellas, column lamellas or steric reticules in response to different surfactant concentrations in the aqueous solution.

Surfactant induced aggregation behavior of Merocyanine-540 adsorbed on polymer coated positively charged gold nanoparticles

Surfactant induced aggregation behavior of Merocyanine 540 adsorbed on polymer (PDD) coated gold nanoparticles (AuNP) is reported. The absorption band of the dye shifts to higher energy in the presence of free polymer and polymer coated AuNP implying aggregation. Addition of a negatively charged surfactant (SDS) induces multiple bands in the extinction spectrum of the dye adsorbed on nanoparticle surface. The highest (460nm) and lowest (564nm) energy bands of the dye become prominent at 10 and >50μM SDS concentrations respectively (dye: 10μM; AuNP: 100-200pM). Based on earlier results the high energy band is likely to originate from dye aggregates and the low energy band is likely to originate from dye monomers. This is attributed to the interplay between polymer-surfactant and polymer-dye interactions at the AuNP surface. The extinction spectra of dye adsorbed at AuNP surface remain unaffected in the presence of a positively charged (CTAB) or a neutral surfactant (Tx-100), at low surfactant concentrations. However at higher surfactant concentrations (>60μM) dye aggregation takes place which is attributed to dye-surfactant interactions. The fluorescence intensity of the dye quenched significantly but its lifetime increased in the presence of polymer coated AuNP. This is attributed to aggregation and reduction in the photoisomerization rate of the dye adsorbed on AuNP surface.

Interaction of cationic gemini surfactant tetramethylene-1,4-bis(dimethyltetradecylammonium bromide) with anionic polyelectrolyte sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, with two different molar masses, in aqueous and aquo-organic (isopropanol) media

Interactions of the cationic gemini surfactant, 14-4-14 with anionic polymer, NaCMC.

Ionic Surfactant Binding to pH-Responsive Polyelectrolyte Brush-Grafted Nanoparticles in Suspension and on Charged Surfaces

The interactions between silica nanoparticles grafted with a brush of cationic poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (SiO2-g-PDMAEMA) and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is investigated by dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic mobility, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy. SiO2-g-PDMAEMA exhibits pH-dependent charge and size properties which enable the SDS binding to be probed over a range of electrostatic conditions and brush conformations. SDS monomers bind irreversibly to SiO2-g-PDMAEMA at low surfactant concentrations (∼10(-4) M) while exhibiting a pH-dependent threshold above which cooperative, partially reversible SDS binding occurs. At pH 5, SDS binding induces collapse of the highly charged and swollen brush as observed in the bulk by DLS and on surfaces by QCM-D. Similar experiments at pH 9 suggest that SDS binds to the periphery of the weakly charged and deswollen brush and produces SiO2-g-PDMAEMA/SDS complexes with a net negative charge. SiO2-g-PDMAEMA brush collapse and charge neutralization is further confirmed by colloidal probe AFM measurements, where reduced electrosteric repulsions and bridging adhesion are attributed to effects of the bound SDS. Additionally, sequential adsorption schemes with SDS and SiO2-g-PDMAEMA are used to enhance deposition relative to SiO2-g-PDMAEMA direct adsorption on silica. This work shows that the polyelectrolyte brush configuration responds in a more dramatic fashion to SDS than to pH-induced changes in ionization, and this can be exploited to manipulate the structure of adsorbed layers and the corresponding forces of compression and friction between opposing surfaces.

Co-adsorption of peptide amphiphile V(6)K and conventional surfactants SDS and C(12)TAB at the solid/water interface

Recent research has reported many attractive benefits from short peptide amphiphiles. A practical route for them to enter the real world of applications is through formulation with conventional surfactants. This study reports the co-adsorption of the surfactant-like peptide, V6K, with conventional anionic and cationic surfactants at the solid/water interface. The time-dependant adsorption behaviour was examined using spectroscopic ellipsometry whilst adsorbed layer composition and structural distribution of the components were investigated by neutron reflection with the use of hydrogen/deuterium labelling of the surfactant molecules. Both binary (surfactant/peptide mixtures) and sequential (peptide followed by surfactant) adsorption have been studied. It was found that at the hydrophilic SiO2/water interface, the peptide was able to form a stable, flat, defected bilayer structure however both the structure and adsorbed amount were highly dependent on the initial peptide concentration. This consequently affected surfactant adsorption. In the presence of a pre-adsorbed peptide layer anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) could readily co-adsorb at the interface; however, cationic dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C12TAB) could not co-adsorb due to the same charge character. However on a trimethoxy octyl silane (C8) coated hydrophobic surface, V6K formed a monolayer, and subsequent exposure to cationic and anionic surfactants both led to some co-adsorption at the interface. In binary surfactant/peptide mixtures, it was found that adsorption was dependent on the molar ratio of the surfactant and peptide. For SDS mixtures below molar unity and concentrations below CMC for C12TAB, V6K was able to dominate adsorption at the interface. Above molar unity, no adsorption was detected for SDS/V6K mixtures. In contrast, C12TAB gradually replaced the peptide and became dominant at the interface. These results thus elucidate the adsorption behaviour of V6K, which was found to dominate interfacial adsorption but its exact adsorbed amount and distribution were affected by interfacial hydrophobicity and interactions with conventional surfactants.

Biocompatible long-sustained release oil-core polyelectrolyte nanocarriers: From controlling physical state and stability to biological impact

It has been generally expected that the most applicable drug delivery system (DDS) should be biodegradable, biocompatible and with incidental adverse effects. Among many micellar aggregates and their mediated polymeric systems, polyelectrolyte oil-core nanocarriers have been found to successfully encapsulate hydrophobic drugs in order to target cells and avoid drug degradation and toxicity as well as to improve drug efficacy, its stability, and better intracellular penetration. This paper reviews recent developments in the formation of polyelectrolyte oil-core nanocarriers by subsequent multilayer adsorption at micellar structures, their imaging, physical state and stability, drug encapsulation and applications, in vitro release profiles and in vitro biological evaluation (cellular uptake and internalization, biocompatibility). We summarize the recent results concerning polyelectrolyte/surfactant interactions at interfaces, fundamental to understand the mechanisms of formation of stable polyelectrolyte layered structures on liquid cores. The fabrication of emulsion droplets stabilized by synergetic surfactant/polyelectrolyte complexes, properties, and potential applications of each type of polyelectrolyte oil-core nanocarriers, including stealth nanocapsules with pegylated shell, are discussed and evaluated.

Current applications of foams formed from mixed surfactant-polymer solutions

Foams cannot be generated without the use of special foaming agents, as pure liquids do not foam. The most common foaming agents are surfactants, however often for foam stability one active agent is not enough, it is necessary to add other component to increase foam lifetime. Foams on everyday use are mostly made from mixture of different components. Properly chosen combinations of two active ingredients lead to a faster foam formation and increased foam stability. During the last decade polymers (mainly polyelectrolytes and proteins) have become frequently used additives to foaming solutions. Mixtures of surfactants and polymers often demonstrate different foaming properties in comparison to surfactant only or polymer only solutions. The nature of surfactant-polymer interactions is complicated and prediction of resulting foaming properties of such formulations is not straightforward. Properties and foaming of surfactant-polymer mixtures are discussed as well as current applications of foams and foaming agents as foams are widely used in cosmetics, pharmaceutics, medicine and the food industry.

Adsorption of polyelectrolytes and polyelectrolytes-surfactant mixtures at surfaces: a physico-chemical approach to a cosmetic challenge

The use of polymer and polymer - surfactant mixtures for designing and developing textile and personal care cosmetic formulations is associated with various physico-chemical aspects, e.g. detergency and conditioning in the case of hair or wool, that determine their correct performances in preserving and improving the appearance and properties of the surface where they are applied. In this work, special attention is paid to the systems combining polycations and negatively charged surfactants. The paper introduces the hair surface and presents a comprehensive review of the adsorption properties of these systems at solid-water interfaces mimicking the negative charge and surface energy of hair. These model surfaces include mixtures of thiols that confer various charge densities to the surface. The kinetics and factors that govern the adsorption are discussed from the angle of those used in shampoos and conditioners developed by the cosmetic industry. Finally, systems able to adsorb onto negatively charged surfaces regardless of the anionic character are presented, opening new ways of depositing conditioning polymers onto keratin substrates such as hair.

Anisometric Polyelectrolyte/Mixed Surfactant Nanoassemblies Formed by the Association of Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Dodecyl Maltoside

The soluble complexes of oppositely charged macromolecules and amphiphiles, formed in the one-phase concentration range, are usually described on the basis of the beads on a string model assuming spherelike bound surfactant micelles. However, around and above the charge neutralization ionic surfactant to polyion ratio, a variety of ordered structures of the precipitates and large polyion/surfactant aggregates have been reported for the different systems which are difficult to connect to globular-like surfactant self-assembly units. In this article we have demonstrated through SAXS measurements that the structure of precipitates and those of the soluble polyion/mixed surfactant complexes of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and dodecyl-maltoside (DDM) are strongly correlated. Specifically, SDS binds to the PDADMAC molecules in the form of small cylindrical surfactant micelles even at very low SDS-to-PDADMAC ratios. In this way, these anisometric surfactant self-assemblies formed in excess polyelectrolyte mimic the basic building units of the hexagonal structure of the PDADMAC/SDS precipitate and/or suspensions formed at charge equivalence or at higher SDS-to-PDADMAC ratios. The presence of DDM reduces the cmc and cac for the system but does not alter significantly the structure of the complexes in either the one-phase or two-phase region. The only exception is for samples at SDS-to-PDADMAC ratios close to charge neutralization and a high concentration of DDM where the precipitate forms a multiphasic or distorted hexagonal structure.

Co-assembly in chitosan-surfactant mixtures: thermodynamics, structures, interfacial properties and applications

In this review, different aspects characterizing chitosan-surfactant mixtures are summarized and compared. Chitosan is a bioderived cationic polysaccharide that finds wide-ranged applications in various field, e.g., medical or food industry, in which synergistic effects with surfactant can play a fundamental role. In particular, the behavior of chitosan interacting with strong and weak anionic, nonionic as well as cationic surfactants is reviewed. We put a focus on oppositely charged systems, as they exhibit the most interesting features. In that context, we discuss the thermodynamic description of the interaction and in particular the structural changes as they occur as a function of the mixed systems and external parameters. Moreover, peculiar properties of chitosan coated phospholipid vesicles are summarized. Finally, their co-assembly at interfaces is briefly reviewed. Despite the behavior of the mentioned systems might strongly differ, resulting in a high variety of properties, few general rules can be pointed out which improve the understanding of such complex systems.

Water-responsive internally structured polymer-surfactant films on solid surfaces

Water-insoluble films of oppositely charged polyion-surfactant ion "complex salts" (CS) are readily cast on solid surfaces from ethanolic solutions. The methodology introduces new possibilities to study and utilize more or less hydrated CS. Direct SAXS measurements show that the surface films are water-responsive and change their liquid crystalline structure in response to changes in the water activity of the environment. In addition to the classical micellar cubic and hexagonal phases, a rectangular ribbon phase and a hexagonal close-packed structure have now been detected for CS composed of cationic alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants with polyacrylate counterions. Added cosurfactants, decanol or the nonionic surfactant C12E5, yield additional lamellar and bicontinuous cubic structures. Images of the surfaces by optical and atomic force microscopy show that the films cover the surfaces well but have a more or less irregular surface topology, including "craters" of sizes ranging from a few to hundreds of micrometers. The results indicate possibilities to create a wealth of water-responsive structured CS films on solid surfaces.

High-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy study of interactions between hyaluronan and cationic surfactants

Interactions in a cationic surfactant-hyaluronan system in water and in sodium chloride solution were investigated by high-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy at 25 °C. Two alkyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactants of different chain lengths (tetradecyl and hexadecyl) were used; hyaluronan molecular weight ranged from 10 to 1750 kDa. Two main parameters-ultrasonic velocity and attenuation-were measured in the titration regime. Up to six different regions could be identified in the velocity titration profiles in water in a narrow interval of surfactant concentration. These regions differed primarily in the compressibility of structures formed in the system. The number of detected transitions was higher for the tetradecyl surfactant; therefore, the increased length of the hydrophobic chain simplified the details of the structure-forming behavior. The measurement of attenuation was much less sensitive and detected only the formation of microheterogeneous structures or visible phase separates. The richness of the titration profiles was depressed in salt solution, where essentially only two principal regions were observed. On the other hand, the effect of hyaluronan molecular weight on the positions of boundaries between regions was more significant in the presence of salt. Besides electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions are also relevant for determining the behavior of hyaluronan-surfactant systems and the properties of formed complexes (aggregates).

Surfactant induced complex formation and their effects on the interfacial properties of seawater

The effect of a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), on the interfacial properties of seawater has been studied by dynamic and equilibrium surface tension and by dilational rheology essays. Important modifications of the surface tension and dilational rheology response have been observed already at the very low CTAB concentrations, where the effects due to the high ionic strength are negligible. The comparison with the effects of CTAB in different seawater models, or in natural seawater fractions, points out the establishment of strong interactions between the surfactant molecules and the lipophilic fraction of organic material dispersed/dissolved in seawater, affecting the interfacial activity of the molecules. Considering the biochemical richness of seawater, these results can be explained assuming interaction mechanisms and adsorption schemes similar to those speculated for protein and other macromolecules in the presence of surfactants, which in fact show similar features. Thus already at the low concentrations the surfactant molecules form highly surface-active complexes with part of the organic fraction of seawater. At the larger surfactant concentrations these complexes compete for adsorption with an excess of free CTAB molecules which, according to the thermodynamic conditions, are most favoured to occupy the liquid interface. The results of this study underline the important role of the sea organic content in enhancing the surface-activity of surfactants, which is relevant for a deeper understand of the direct and indirect effects of these types of pollutants on the physico-chemical environment in the sea coastal areas and develop mitigation strategies.

Polydopamine Films from the Forgotten Air/Water Interface

The formation of polydopamine under mild oxidation conditions from dopamine solutions with mechanical agitation leads to the formation of films that can functionalize all kinds of materials. In the absence of stirring of the solution, we report the formation of polydopamine films at the air/water interface (PDA A/W) and suggest that it arises from an homogeneous nucleation process. These films grow two times faster than in solution and can be deposited on hydrophilic or hydrophobic substrates by the Langmuir-Schaeffer technique. Thanks to this new method, porous and hydrophobic materials like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes can be completely covered with a 35 nm thick PDA A/W film after only 3h of reaction. Finally the oxidation of a monomer followed by a polymerization in water is not exclusive to polydopamine since we also transferred polyaniline functional films from the air/water interface to solid substrates. These findings suggest that self-assembly from a solution containing hydrophilic monomers undergoing a chemical transformation (here oxidation and oligomerization) could be a general method to produce films at the liquid/air interface.

Effect of polyelectrolytes on (de)stability of liquid foam films

The review addresses the influence of polyelectrolytes on the stabilisation of free-standing liquid foam films, which affects the stability of a whole macroscopic foam. Both the composition of the film surface and the stratification of the film bulk drives the drainage and the interfacial forces within a foam film. Beside synthetic polyelectrolytes also natural polyelectrolytes like cellulose, proteins and DNA are considered.

Doubly-grafted copolymers with hydrophilic and thermosensitive side chains: thermosensitivity and complexation with surfactants

The behavior in aqueous solution of the doubly-grafted anionic polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate-co-sodium acrylate-)-g-poly(N-isopropylacry-lamide)-g-poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide), P(AMPSNa-co-ANa)-g-PNIPAM-g-PDMAM, was compared to that of the single-grafted anionic polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate-co-sodium acrylate)-g-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), P(AMPSNa-co-ANa)-g-PNIPAM. The investigation through turbidimetry, pyrene fluorescence probing, viscometry and dynamic light scattering revealed that the existence of the hydrophilic poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide), PDMAM, side chains in the doubly-grafted copolymer P(AMPSNa-co-ANa)-g-PNIPAM-g-PDMAM did not perturb the thermoresponsiveness of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, side chains, but favoured the stabilization in water of the core-corona nanoparticles, formed upon heating the aqueous solution above the Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM chains. In a similar manner, the complexes formed between the cationic surfactant N,N,N,N-dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, DTAC, and the oppositely charged backbone of the doubly-grafted copolymer P(AMPSNa-co-ANa)-g-PNIPAM-g-PDMAM were stabilized in water by the PDMAM side chains. Thus, phase separation was prevented upon heating the aqueous solution above LCST. Moreover, the (1)H NMR study revealed that the fraction of PNIPAM chains forming solid-like aggregates at high temperature increased substantially in the presence of DTAC, as a consequence of the net charge decrease of the backbone due to the polymer/DTAC complexation.

Direct impact of nonequilibrium aggregates on the structure and morphology of Pdadmac/SDS layers at the air/water interface

We discuss different nonequilibrium mechanisms by which bulk aggregates directly modify, and can even control, the interfacial structure and morphology of an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant (P/S) mixture. Samples are categorized at the air/water interface with respect to the dynamic changes in the bulk phase behavior, the bulk composition, and the sample history using complementary surface-sensitive techniques. First, we show that bulk aggregates can spontaneously interact with the adsorption layer and are retained in it and that this process occurs most readily for positively charged aggregates with an expanded structure. In this case, key nonequilibrium issues of aggregate dissociation and spreading of surface-active material at the interface have a marked influence on the macroscopic interfacial properties. In a second distinct mechanism, aggregates inherently become trapped at the interface during its creation and lateral flocculation occurs. This irreversible process is most pronounced for aggregates with the lowest charge. A third mechanism involves the deposition of aggregates at interfaces due to their transport under gravity. The specificity of this process at an interface depends on its location and is mediated by density effects in the bulk. The prevalence of each mechanism critically depends on a number of different factors, which are outlined systematically here for the first time. This study highlights the sheer complexity by which aggregates can directly impact the interfacial properties of a P/S mixture. Our findings offer scope for understanding seemingly mysterious irreproducible effects which can compromise the performance of formulations in wide-ranging applications from foams to emulsions and lubricants.

Formation and dissociation of the acridine orange dimer as a tool for studying polyelectrolyte-surfactant interactions

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and UV-vis techniques were used to study the formation and dissociation of acridine orange dimer in order to investigate hyaluronan-acridine orange, hyaluronan-CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide), polystyrenesulfonate-acridine orange, and polystyrenesulfonate-CTAB interactions in aqueous solution. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and the dimer:monomer absorbance ratio of acridine orange (AO) were used to determine dimer formation on polymer chains of polyelectrolytes. Acridine orange clearly formed dimers on polystyrensulfonate chains as well as on hyaluronan, but we show that the electrostatic interaction is much weaker in the case of hyaluronan. After the addition of surfactant, we observed an enhancement of fluorescence intensity, indicating the dissociation of AO dimers into monomers and the replacement of acridine orange on polymer chains by surfactant molecules. Importantly, we show that surfactant molecules bind to polymer chains before the critical micelle concentration is reached and form the so-called "bottle-brush" structure.

The interactions of ι-carrageenan with cationic surfactants in aqueous solutions

The interactions between the anionic polymer ι-carrageenan (IC) and the cationic surfactants 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C12mimBr), dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and ethyl-α,ω-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium)dibromide (12-2-12) have been studied by fluorimetry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Our experimental results showed that at a low surfactant concentration, the monomers adsorbed on the IC chains through the electrostatic attraction, followed by the formation of induced micelles on the IC chains through the hydrophobic interaction until the IC chains are saturated by surfactant molecules; after that the added surfactant formed free micelles in the solution. A pseudo-phase-equilibrium thermodynamic model was proposed to explain the experimental results and to understand the mechanisms of the interactions in these three systems. Moreover, the salt effect on the interactions was investigated and found that it changed the critical concentrations but not the interaction mechanism.

Effects of ionic strength on the surface tension and nonequilibrium interfacial characteristics of poly(sodium styrenesulfonate)/dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide mixtures

We rationalize the surface tension behavior and nonequilibrium interfacial characteristics of high molecular weight poly(sodium styrenesulfonate)/dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (NaPSS/DTAB) mixtures with respect to the ionic strength. Excellent agreement is achieved between experimental data and our recent empirical model [Langmuir 2013, 29, 11554], which is based on the lack of colloidal stability of bulk aggregates in the phase separation region and has no free fitting parameters. We show that the size of a surface tension peak positioned at the edge of the phase separation region can be suppressed by the addition of inert electrolyte, which lowers the critical micelle concentration in relation to the phase separation region. Such manipulation of the peak is possible for the 100 ppm NaPSS/DTAB system because there is a high free surfactant concentration in the phase separation region. The close agreement of our model with the experimental data of samples in the phase separation region with respect to the ionic strength indicates that the surface tension behavior can be rationalized in terms of comprehensive precipitation regardless of whether there is a peak or not. The time scale of precipitation for the investigated system is on the order of one month, which emphasizes the need to understand the dynamic changes in the state of bulk aggregation in order to rationalize the surface properties of strongly interacting mixtures; steady state surface properties measured in the interim period will represent samples far from equilibrium. We show also that the surface properties of samples of low ionic strength outside the equilibrium phase separation region can be extreme opposites depending on the sample history, which is attributed to the generation of trapped nonequilibrium states. This work highlights the need to validate the underlying nature of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant systems prior to the interpretation of experimental data within an equilibrium framework.

Surface shear rheology of monolayers at the surface of water

The knowledge of surface shear rheology is important to understand and model flow in systems where interfaces are present: multiphase flow, wetting, foaming and others. The topic has been investigated for more than 100 years, but the knowledge accumulated is still partial. The experimental devices used for the measurement of the viscoelastic parameters are delicate to operate and the response of the monolayers is complex, usually non-linear and time dependent. Furthermore, it is difficult to decouple from the response of the bulk liquid. Important discrepancies between microscopic and macroscopic methods were reported and remain to be clarified. The knowledge of shear properties does not suffice in general to achieve proper descriptions of the flow behavior and measurements of compression properties are needed as well. This paper presents examples taken from the literature and discusses the current level of understanding.

Electrostatic interactions of cationic lauric arginate with anionic polysaccharides affect antimicrobial activity against spoilage yeasts

AIMS

To investigate the effect of anionic polysaccharides often used in beverage applications (xanthan and λ-carrageenan) on the antimicrobial efficacy of the cationic surfactant lauric arginate (LAE) against typical spoilage yeasts.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The antimicrobial efficacy of LAE against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Zygosaccharomyces bailii in the absence and presence of anionic polysaccharides was assessed by microtitre and macrobroth dilution assays. Combining LAE with either xanthan or λ-carrageenan caused a pronounced decrease in LAE's antimicrobial efficacy, with the minimal inhibitory and lethal concentrations (MIC and MLC) both increasing with increasing polysaccharide concentration. This reduction in antimicrobial efficacy was more pronounced for the addition of λ-carrageenan. To determine the cause of loss of activity, physical properties of solutions were examined. Turbidity and sedimentation measurements indicated that complexes between LAE and anionic polysaccharides had been formed. Electrophoresis measurements showed that complexes had varying electrical charges and dimensions depending on solution composition.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that electrostatic interactions between LAE and anionic polysaccharides play a major role in complex formation and loss of antimicrobial activity.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Results have important implications for the utilization of LAE as an antimicrobial agent in beverage and food products containing anionic polysaccharides.

Particle laden fluid interfaces: dynamics and interfacial rheology

We review the dynamics of particle laden interfaces, both particle monolayers and particle+surfactant monolayers. We also discuss the use of the Brownian motion of microparticles trapped at fluid interfaces for measuring the shear rheology of surfactant and polymer monolayers. We describe the basic concepts of interfacial rheology and the different experimental methods for measuring both dilational and shear surface complex moduli over a broad range of frequencies, with emphasis in the micro-rheology methods. In the case of particles trapped at interfaces the calculation of the diffusion coefficient from the Brownian trajectories of the particles is calculated as a function of particle surface concentration. We describe in detail the calculation in the case of subdiffusive particle dynamics. A comprehensive review of dilational and shear rheology of particle monolayers and particle+surfactant monolayers is presented. Finally the advantages and current open problems of the use of the Brownian motion of microparticles for calculating the shear complex modulus of monolayers are described in detail.

Polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures in the bulk and at water/oil interfaces

Stabilization of emulsions by mixed polyelectrolyte/surfactant systems is a prominent example for the application in modern technologies. The formation of complexes between the polymers and the surfactants depends on the type of surfactant (ionic, non-ionic) and the mixing ratio. The surface activity (hydrophilic-lipophilic balance) of the resulting complexes is an important quantity for its efficiency in stabilizing emulsions. The interfacial adsorption properties observed at liquid/oil interfaces are more or less equivalent to those observed at the aqueous solution/air interface, however, the corresponding interfacial dilational and shear rheology parameters differ quite significantly. The interfacial properties are directly linked to bulk properties, which support the picture for the complex formation of polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures, which is the result of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. For long alkyl chain surfactants the interfacial behavior is strongly influenced by hydrophobic interactions while the complex formation with short chain surfactants is mainly governed by electrostatic interactions.