Surface properties of mixtures of surface-active sugar derivatives with ionic surfactants: Theoretical and experimental investigations

Experimental and theoretical study of adsorption of synthesized amino acid core derived surfactants at an air/water interface

The adsorption characteristics of amino acid surfactants, synthesized as substances with different volumes and hydrophilic head properties, have been previously described experimentally, without robust theoretical explanation. A theoretical model enabling the characterization of the adsorption behavior and physicochemical properties of this type of biodegradable surfactants, based on molecular structure, would be beneficial for assessment of their usefulness in colloids and interface science in comparison with typical surface-active substances. In this paper, the adsorption behaviour of synthesized amino acid surfactants at the liquid/gas interface was analyzed experimentally (by surface tension measurements using two independent techniques) and theoretically by means of an elaborate model, considering the volume of the surfactant hydrophilic "head" and its ionization degree. It was shown that the adsorption behavior of the synthesized compounds can be successfully described by the proposed model, including the Helfand-Frisch-Lebowitz isotherm based on the equation of state of 2D hard disk-like particles, with molecular properties of surfactant particles obtained using molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). Model parameters allow for direct comparison of physicochemical properties of synthesized amino acid surfactants with other ionic and non-ionic surface-active substances. Furthermore, it was revealed that intermolecular hydrogen bonds allow the formation of surfactant dimers with high surface activity.

Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate, an Inherently Multicomponent Surfactant System

Ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) is an amino acid-based cationic surfactant with low toxicity and antimicrobial activity. It is widely used as a food preservative and component for food packaging. When stored, LAE decomposes by hydrolysis into surface-active components Nα-lauroyl–l-arginine (LAS) or dodecanoic (lauric) acid. There are only a limited number of reports considering the mechanism of surface activity of LAE. Thus, we analysed the surface tension isotherm of LAE with analytical standard purity in relation to LAE after prolonged storage. We used quantum mechanical density functional theory (DFT) computations to determine the preferred hydrolysis path and discuss the possibility of forming highly surface-active heterodimers, LAE-dodecanoate anion, or LAE-LAS. Applying molecular dynamics simulations, we determined the stability of those dimers linked by electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. We used the adsorption model of surfactant mixtures to successfully describe the experimental surface tension isotherms. The real part surface dilational modulus determined by the oscillation drop method follows a diffusional transport mechanism. However, the nonlinear response of the surface tension could be observed for LAE concentration close to and above Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC). Nonlinearity originates from the presence of micelles and the reorganisation of the interfacial layer.

Binary mixtures of (β-C12G2) with cationic and non-ionic surfactants: micelle and surface compositions

Surfactants used for practical applications are usually surfactant mixtures because they often exhibit a performance that is superior to the individual surfactants. In the present study binary mixtures of the sugar based surfactant n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (β-C12G2) with the cationic surfactant dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB) and the non-ionic hexaethylene-glycol dodecyl ether (C12E6), respectively, were investigated at different bulk mole fractions. Surface tension measurements were used to determine the critical micelle concentration and the surfactant composition at the surface. In addition, the regular solution theory was used to calculate interaction parameters as well as the mole fractions of the individual surfactants in the mixed air-water monolayer and in the mixed micelles, respectively. It was found that n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside interacts weakly with the cationic surfactant (C12TAB) and that it dominates in both the mixed monolayer and the mixed micelles. On the other hand, β-C12G2 and C12E6 mix ideally in solution. For both surfactant mixtures the surfactant composition at the surface determined by surface tension measurements and by the regular solution theory, respectively, were compared and discussed in detail.

Adsorption and micelle formation of alkylammonium chloride–alkyltrimethylammonium chloride mixtures

The surface tension of the aqueous solutions of binary cationic surfactant mixtures of (1) dodecylammnonium chloride (DAC)-tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride (TTAC), (2) decylammonium chloride (DeAC)-dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), and (3) DAC-DTAC was measured as a function of the total molality and composition of surfactants at 298.15 K. The compositions of surfactants in the adsorbed film and micelle were evaluated and the phase diagram of adsorption and that of micelle formation were constructed. Furthermore the excess Gibbs energies of adsorption and micelle formation were calculated to estimate the deviation from the corresponding ideal mixing. It was found that the surface and micelle are enriched in trimethylammonium salts in (1) and (2), while in ammonium salt in (3) compared to the bulk solution. On the other hand, the micelle is enriched in trimethylammonium salts compared to the surface at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) in all the systems. The miscibility of the surfactants was clarified from the standpoints of the structure of the head group and of the matching between the size of polar head group of surfactants and the difference in hydrocarbon chain length.

The Hofmeister series effect in adsorption of cationic surfactants--theoretical description and experimental results

Interfacial properties of cationic surfactants show strong dependence on the type of surfactant counterion or on the type of anion of a salt added to the surfactant solution. In the paper, the models of ionic surfactant adsorption that can take into account ionic specific effects are reviewed. Model of ionic surfactant adsorption based on the assumption that the surfactant ions and counterions undergo nonequivalent adsorption within the Stern layer was selected to describe experimental surface tension isotherms of aqueous solutions of a number of cationic surfactants. The experimental isotherms for: n-alkyl trimethylammonium cationic surfactants, namely: C(16)TABr (CTABr or CTAB), C(16)TACl, C(16)TAHSO(4), C(10)TABr and C(12)TABr as well as decyl- and dodecylpyridinium salts with and without various electrolyte anions as Cl(-), Br(-), F(-), I(-), NO(3)(-), ClO(4)(-) and CH(3)COO(-) were described in terms of the model and a good agreement between the theory and experiment was obtained for a wide range of surfactants and added electrolyte concentrations. A very pronounced Hofmeister effect in dependence of surface tension of cationic surfactants on the type of anion was found. Analysing this dependence in terms of the proposed model of ionic surfactant adsorption, strong correlation between "anion surface activity" (the model parameter accounting for ion penetration into the Stern layer), and the ion polarizability was obtained. That suggests that the mechanism related to the dispersive interaction of polarized ion with electric field at interface is responsible for Hofmeister series effects in surface activity of cationic surfactants. The same mechanism was proposed recently to explain the dependence of surface tension increase with electrolyte concentration on anion and cation type.