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Liu L, Zhang M, Lu Y, Chen G, Lu B, Ge L, Lu Z, Sun D, Xu Z. Microstructure-dependent CO 2-responsive microemulsions for deep-cleaning of oil-contaminated soils. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 350:140928. [PMID: 38092174 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
CO2-responsive microemulsion (ME) is considered a promising candidate for deep-cleaning and oil recovery from oil-contaminated soils. Understanding the responsive nature of different microstructures (i.e., oil-in-water (O/W), bicontinuous (B.C.) and water-in-oil (W/O)) is essential for unlocking the potential and mechanisms of CO2-responsive emulsions in complex multiphase systems and providing comprehensive guidance for remediation of oil-contaminated soils. Herein, the responsiveness of microstructures of ME to CO2 trigger was investigated using experimental designs and coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations. MEs were formed for the first time by a weakly associated pseudo-Gemini surfactant of indigenous organic acids (naphthenic acids, NAs are a class of natural surface-active molecules in crude oil) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) through fine tuning of co-solvent of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) and butanol. The O/W ME exhibited an optimal CO2-responsive character due to easier proton migration in the continuous aqueous phase and more pronounced dependence of configuration on deprotonated NA ions. Conversely, the ME with W/O microstructure exhibited a weak to none responsive characteristic, most likely attributed to its high viscosity and strong oil-NA interactions. The O/W ME also showed superior cleaning efficiency and oil recovery from oil-contaminated soils. The results from this study provide insights for the design of CO2-responsive MEs with desired performance and guidance for choosing the favorable operating conditions in various industrial applications, such as oily solid waste treatment, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and pipeline transportation. The insights from this work allow more efficient and tailored design of switchable MEs for manufacturing advanced responsive materials in various industrial sectors and formulation of household products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfei Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Key University Laboratory of Highly Efficient Utilization of Solar Energy and Sustainable Development of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Mingshan Zhang
- School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Bioproducts Institute, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Department of Wood Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Gaojian Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Binda Lu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Key University Laboratory of Highly Efficient Utilization of Solar Energy and Sustainable Development of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lingling Ge
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Zhouguang Lu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Key University Laboratory of Highly Efficient Utilization of Solar Energy and Sustainable Development of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Dejun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry, Shandong University, Ministry of Education, Jinan, Shandong, 250100, China
| | - Zhenghe Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Interfacial Science and Engineering of Materials, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China; Key University Laboratory of Highly Efficient Utilization of Solar Energy and Sustainable Development of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Zhao Z, Zhang L, Zhang H, Lu G, Meng T, Hao H, Zhang Y, Li J, Yan H. Computational Insights into a CO 2-Responsive Emulsion Prepared Using the Superamphiphile Assembled by Electrostatic Interactions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:938-949. [PMID: 38134444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The superamphiphiles exhibit broad prospects for fabricating stimuli-responsive emulsions. Because the superamphiphiles are assembled via noncovalent interactions, they have the advantage of fast response and high efficiency. Recently, a series of switchable emulsions using CO2-responsive superamphiphiles have been developed, which extends the applications of CO2-responsive materials in widespread field. However, there is still a lack of fundamental understanding on the switching mechanism related to the assembled structure of superamphiphiles at the oil-water interface. We employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the reversible emulsification/demulsification process of a responsive emulsion system stabilized by a recently developed responsive superamphiphile (BTOA), which consists of oleic acid (OA) and cationic amine (named 1,3-bis(aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane, BT). The simulation results present the morphologies in both the emulsion and demulsification states. It is found that the ionized OA- and the protonated BT+ together form an adsorption layer at the oil-water interface. The hydrophobic parts of BT+ are inserted into the adsorption layer, and the two amine groups contact the water phase. This adsorption layer reduces the interfacial tension and stabilizes the emulsion. After the bubbling of CO2, the surfactants were fully protonated to OA and BT2+. Because of the changes in the molecular polarity, OA and BT2+ entered the oil and water phases, respectively, resulting in demulsification. The structural and dynamical properties were analyzed to reveal the different intermolecular interactions that were responsible for the reversible reversibility of the emulsion. The observations are considered to be complementary to experimental studies and are expected to provide deeper insights into studies on developing responsive materials via supramolecular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and Novel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Guoqiang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical & Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Tong Meng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Hongguo Hao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Energy Storage and Novel Cell Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Yongmin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical & Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, P. R. China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
| | - Hui Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252059, P. R. China
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Dowlati S, Mokhtari R, Hohl L, Miller R, Kraume M. Advances in CO 2-switchable surfactants towards the fabrication and application of responsive colloids. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 315:102907. [PMID: 37086624 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.102907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
CO2-switchable surfactants have selective surface-activity, which can be activated or deactivated either by adding or removing CO2 from the solution. This feature enables us to use them in the fabrication of responsive colloids, a group of dispersed systems that can be controlled by changing the environmental conditions. In chemical processes, including extraction, reaction, or heterogeneous catalysis, colloids are required in some specific steps of the processes, in which maximum contact area between immiscible phases or reactants is desired. Afterward, the colloids must be broken for the postprocessing of products, solvents, and agents, which can be facilitated by using CO2-switchable surfactants in surfactant-stabilized colloids. These surfactants are mainly cationic and can be activated by the protonation of a nitrogen-containing group upon sparging CO2 gas. Also, CO2-switchable superamphiphiles can be formed by non-covalent bonding between components at least one of which is CO2-switchable. So far, CO2-switchable surfactants have been used in CO2-switchable spherical and wormlike micelles, vesicles, emulsions, foams, and Pickering emulsions. Here, we review the fabrication procedure, chemical structure, switching scheme, stability, environmental conditions, and design philosophy of such responsive colloids. Their fields of application are wide, including emulsion polymerization, catalysis, soil washing, drug delivery, extraction, viscosity control, and oil transportation. We also emphasize their application for the CO2-assisted enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process as a promising approach for carbon capture, utilization, and storage to combat climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Dowlati
- Chair of Chemical and Process Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, D-13355 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Rasoul Mokhtari
- Danish Offshore Technology Centre, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Lena Hohl
- Chair of Chemical and Process Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, D-13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Reinhard Miller
- Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Kraume
- Chair of Chemical and Process Engineering, Technical University of Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, D-13355 Berlin, Germany
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