Time-dependent behavior of insoluble monomolecular films: Fatty acids and some derivatives

Measuring the Equilibrium Spreading Pressure-A Tale of Three Amphiphiles

A surfactant's equilibrium spreading pressure (ESP) is the maximum decrease in surface tension achievable at equilibrium below the Krafft point. Difficulties in measuring the ESP have been noted previously but no well-established experimental protocols to overcome them exist. We present a case study of three solid amphiphiles with different propensities to spread on the air-water interface. Starting with the partially water soluble n-dodecanol (C12H25OH), which spreads instantaneously. The strong Marangoni flows associated with the spreading result in the dislocating of the Wilhelmy plate or crystals attaching to it. A temporary mechanical barrier in front of the spreading crystals mitigates the flows disturbing the plate. Presaturating the subphase with the amphiphile prevents the establishment of dynamic steady states, reduces the standard error by a factor of three and causes faster equilibration. The perfluoroalkylated analog of dodecanol (11:1 fluorotelomer alcohol, C11F23CH2OH) is slow spreading. With surfactant crystals on the interface, the surface pressure reaches a pre-equilibrium plateau within an hour, followed by equilibration on day-long timescales. We show that it is better to estimate the ESP by averaging the values of multiple pre-equilibrium plateaus rather than waiting for equilibrium to be established. Finally, the nonspreading amphiphile DPPC exhibits a large barrier for the mass transfer from the DPPC crystal to the aqueous surface. This was overcome by introducing a volatile, water-immiscible solvent deposited on the surface next to the crystals to facilitate the spreading process and leave behind a monolayer.

Sodium–carboxylate contact ion pair formation induces stabilization of palmitic acid monolayers at high pH

Theory and experiments show that ion-pair formation drives adsorption of deprotonated fatty acids to the interface.

Prostaglandin monolayers II: monomolecular film behavior of dinoprost C-15 alkyl esters

Monomolecular film compression-relaxation behavior was examined for select dinoprost C-15 alkyl esters. Higher homologs of the series such as palmitate and decanoate esters yielded stable expanded monolayers that exhibited minimal relaxation of surface pressure during noncompression. Their limiting molecular areas were consistent with a Hirschfelder model projection in which the prostaglandin moiety assumes a horizontal orientation at the interface with its alkyl ester chain oriented vertical to the surface plane. Shorter chain homologs such as hexanoate, valerate, butyrate, propionate, and acetate also formed expanded monolayers but exhibited increased instability with decreased alkyl chain length, as reflected in their lower surface pressure development during compression and significant relaxation of pressure during noncompression. Such instability can be tied to their increased solubility in the subphase solution and higher desorption rate from the interface.