1
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Li Z, Feng W, Zhang X, Xu B, Wang L, Lin S. Self-assembly of amphiphilic asymmetric comb-like copolymers with responsive rigid side chains. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:2823-2830. [PMID: 38451223 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00076e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Amphiphilic asymmetric comb-like copolymers (AACCs) exhibit distinct self-assembly behaviours due to their unique architecture. However, the synthetic difficulties of well-defined AACCs have prohibited a systematic understanding of the architecture-morphology relationship. In this work, we conducted dissipative particle dynamics simulations to investigate the self-assembly behaviours of AACCs with responsive rigid side chains in selective solvents. The effects of side chain length, number of branches, and spacers on the morphology of aggregates were investigated by mapping out morphology diagrams. Besides, the numbers and surface areas of aggregates clearly depicted the morphological transitions during the self-assembly process. Moreover, the rod-to-coil conformation transitions were simulated to explore the stimuli-responsive behaviour of the AACCs with responsive rigid side chains by adjusting the bond angle parameter of the rigid chains. The results indicated that without the support of the rigid chains, the assembly structure collapsed, leading to the tube-to-channelized micelles and one-compartment-to-multicompartment vesicle morphology transformations. The simulation results are consistent with earlier experimental results, which can provide theoretical guidance for assembly toward desired nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyi Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Weisheng Feng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Xing Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Binbin Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Liquan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Shaoliang Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymeric Materials, Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
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2
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Jiao J, Ma C, Zhang L, Li F, Gao T, Wang L, Sin LT. Synthesis and Aggregation Behavior of Hexameric Quaternary Ammonium Salt Surfactant Tz-6C 12QC. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:4396. [PMID: 38006120 PMCID: PMC10674742 DOI: 10.3390/polym15224396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
A hexameric quaternary ammonium salt surfactant Tz-6C12QC featuring a rigid triazine spacer and six ammonium groups was synthesized. The molecular structure and aggregation behavior of Tz-6C12QC were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, surface tension, conductivity, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy, etc. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation was employed to investigate the self-assembly behavior of Tz-6C12QC at different concentrations. The rheological behavior of the polyacrylamide/Tz-6C12QC system was characterized by shear rheology. The results indicated that Tz-6C12QC exhibited superior surface activity and lower surface tension compared to conventional surfactants. Rheology analysis revealed that Tz-6C12QC had a significant viscosity reduction effect on polyacrylamide. DLS and TEM indicated that, as the concentration of Tz-6C12QC increased, monomer associations, spherical aggregations, vesicles, tubular micelles, and bilayer vesicles were sequentially formed in the solution. This study presents a synthetic approach for polysurfactants with a rigid spacer and sheds light on the self-assembly process of micelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjian Jiao
- China-Spain Joint Laboratory on Material Science, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, 11th Street, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Chi Ma
- China-Spain Joint Laboratory on Material Science, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, 11th Street, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- China-Spain Joint Laboratory on Material Science, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, 11th Street, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Fan Li
- School of Health Management, China Medical University, Shenyang North New Area, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Tianxu Gao
- Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10, Nishi 8, Kita-Ku, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Lei Wang
- China-Spain Joint Laboratory on Material Science, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology, Shenyang Economic and Technological Development Zone, 11th Street, Shenyang 110142, China
| | - Lee Tin Sin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Sungai Long, Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
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3
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Hendrikse RL, Amador C, Wilson MR. A many-body dissipative particle dynamics parametrisation scheme to study behaviour at air-water interfaces. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3590-3604. [PMID: 37161599 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00276d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we present a general parametrisation scheme for many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD). The scheme is based on matching model components to experimental surface tensions and chemical potentials. This allows us to obtain the correct surface and mixing behaviours of complex, multicomponent systems. The methodology is tested by modelling the behaviour of nonionic polyoxyethylene alkyl ether surfactants at an air/water interface. In particular, the influence of the number of ethylene oxide units in the surfactant head group is investigated. We find good agreement with many experimentally obtained parameters, such as minimum surface area per molecule; and a decrease in the surface tension with increasing surfactant surface density. Moreover, we observe an orientational transition, from surfactants lying directly on the water surface at low surface coverage, to surfactants lying parallel or tilted with respect to the surface normal at high surface coverage. The parametrisation scheme is also extended to cover the zwitterionic surfactant lauryldimethylamine oxide (LDAO), where we provide good predictions for the surface tension at maximum surface coverage. Here, if we exceed this coverage, we are able to demonstrate the spontaneous production of micelles from the surface surfactant layer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Amador
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Mark R Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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4
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Gray SJ, Walker M, Hendrikse R, Wilson MR. Investigating anionic surfactant phase diagrams using dissipative particle dynamics: development of a transferable model. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3092-3103. [PMID: 37039092 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01641a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) provides a powerful coarse-grained simulation technique for the study of a wide range of soft matter systems. Here, we investigate the transferability of DPD models to the prediction of anionic surfactant phase diagrams, taking advantage of fast parameter sweeps to optimise the choice of DPD parameters for these systems. Parameters are developed which provide a good representation of the phase diagrams of SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and three different isomeric forms of LAS (linear alkylbenzene sulfonates) across an extensive concentration range. A high degree of transferability is seen, with parameters readily transferable to other systems, such as AES (alkyl ether sulfates). Excellent agreement is obtained with experimentally measured quantities, such as the lamellar layer spacing. Isosurfaces are produced from the surfactant head group, from which the second moment M of the isosurface normal distribution is calculated for different phase structures. Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases are characterised by a combination of the eigenvalues of M, radial distribution functions, and visual inspections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Gray
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Martin Walker
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Rachel Hendrikse
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Mark R Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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5
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Al-Jabri M, Rodgers T. The effect of changing the molecular structure of the surfactant on the dissolution of lamellar phases. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 643:9-16. [PMID: 37044016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Dissolution processes of surfactants, especially when in the lamellar phase, into water are important for product formulation. Understanding this process at a molecular level will help to enhance product design and control surfactant processes. The main goal of this study is to examine the effect of different lengths of surfactants and the hydrophobic to hydrophilic ratio on the dissolution process of surfactants. To achieve this goal dissipative particle dynamic (DPD) simulations were used. Lamellar equilibrium simulations were carried out for different surfactant chain lengths at 80 vol% with water. The surfactant chains were each run in a simulation box of dimensions 20 × 20 × 20 until equilibrium was reached. The lamellar phase formed for all different surfactant chain lengths and, after the initial equilibrium the surfactant systems were then simulated with a water box for dissolution. The dissolution process was tracked by visual analysis, local concentration analysis, micelle size, and a zonal model to calculate the diffusion parameter. Results show that as the surfactant chain length increased by adding more of the hydrophobic beads, the dissolution process slowed down. Increasing the hydrophilic part of the surfactant speeds up the dissolution process, but the effect of adding more of the hydrophobic part is greater than the effect of adding more of the hydrophilic part on the dissolution process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitha Al-Jabri
- Department of Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Suhar, Oman; Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
| | - Thomas Rodgers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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6
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Anderson RL, Gunn DSD, Taddese T, Lavagnini E, Warren PB, Bray DJ. Phase Behavior of Alkyl Ethoxylate Surfactants in a Dissipative Particle Dynamics Model. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1674-1687. [PMID: 36786752 PMCID: PMC9969514 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
We present a dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) model capable of capturing the liquid state phase behavior of nonionic surfactants from the alkyl ethoxylate (CnEm) family. The model is based upon our recent work [Anderson et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2017, 147, 094503] but adopts tighter control of the molecular structure by setting the bond angles with guidance from molecular dynamics simulations. Changes to the geometry of the surfactants were shown to have little effect on the predicted micelle properties of sampled surfactants, or the water-octanol partition coefficients of small molecules, when compared to the original work. With these modifications the model is capable of reproducing the binary water-surfactant phase behavior of nine surfactants (C8E4, C8E5, C8E6, C10E4, C10E6, C10E8, C12E6, C12E8, and C12E12) with a good degree of accuracy.
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7
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Šindelka K, Kowalski A, Cooke M, Mendoza C, Lísal M. Interactions of cationic surfactant-fatty alcohol monolayers with natural human hair surface: Insights from dissipative particle dynamics. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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8
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Effect of Conventional and Gemini Surfactants on the Micellar-Enhanced Ultrafiltration Process Performance for the Separation of Au(III) from Aqueous Solutions: A Dissipative Particle Dynamics Study. Chem Eng Res Des 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2023.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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9
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Storer MC, Hunter CA. The surface site interaction point approach to non-covalent interactions. Chem Soc Rev 2022; 51:10064-10082. [PMID: 36412990 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00701k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The functional properties of molecular systems are generally determined by the sum of many weak non-covalent interactions, and therefore methods for predicting the relative magnitudes of these interactions is fundamental to understanding the relationship between function and structure in chemistry, biology and materials science. This review focuses on the Surface Site Interaction Point (SSIP) approach which describes molecules as a set of points that capture the properties of all possible non-covalent interactions that the molecule might make with another molecule. The first half of the review focuses on the empirical non-covalent interaction parameters, α and β, and provides simple rules of thumb to estimate free energy changes for interactions between different types of functional group. These parameters have been used to have been used to establish a quantitative understanding of the role of solvent in solution phase equilibria, and to describe non-covalent interactions at the interface between macroscopic surfaces as well as in the solid state. The second half of the review focuses on a computational approach for obtaining SSIPs and applications in multi-component systems where many different interactions compete. Ab initio calculation of the Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) surface is used to derive an SSIP description of a molecule, where each SSIP is assigned a value equivalent to the corresponding empirical parameter, α or β. By considering the free energies of all possible pairing interactions between all SSIPs in a molecular ensemble, it is possible to calculate the speciation of all intermolecular interactions and hence predict thermodynamic properties using the SSIMPLE algorithm. SSIPs have been used to describe both the solution phase and the solid state and provide accurate predictions of partition coefficients, solvent effects on association constants for formation of intermolecular complexes, and the probability of cocrystal formation. SSIPs represent a simple and intuitive tool for describing the relationship between chemical structure and non-covalent interactions with sufficient accuracy to understand and predict the properties of complex molecular ensembles without the need for computationally expensive simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Storer
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
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10
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Koide Y, Goto S. Flow-induced scission of wormlike micelles in nonionic surfactant solutions under shear flow. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:084903. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0096830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate flow-induced scission of wormlike micelles with dissipative particle dynamics simulations of nonionic surfactant solutions under shear flow. To understand flow-induced scission in terms of micellar timescales, we propose a method to evaluate the longest relaxation time of unentangled surfactant micelles from the rotational relaxation time and the average lifetime at equilibrium. The mean squared displacement of surfactant molecules provides evidence that the longest relaxation time estimated by the proposed method serves as the characteristic timescale at equilibrium. We also demonstrate that the longest relaxation time plays an essential role in flow-induced scission. Using conditional statistics based on the aggregation number of micelles, we examine the statistical properties of the lifetime of wormlike micelles. We then conclude that flow-induced scission occurs when the Weissenberg number defined as the product of the longest relaxation time and the shear rate is larger than a threshold value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Koide
- Osaka University Graduate School of Engineering Science Department of Mechanical Science and Bioengineering, Japan
| | - Susumu Goto
- Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Japan
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11
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Faria BF, Vishnyakov AM. Simulation of surfactant adsorption at liquid-liquid interface: what we may expect from soft-core models?. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:094706. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0087363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work attempt to explore systematically the surfactant sorption at liquid-liquid interfaces with coarse-grained models targeting thermodynamic properties of reference liquid solutions. We employ dissipative particle dynamics with soft-core forcefield tested against experimental data on micellization of surfactants in water, and the previous results are reproduced in this work. We consider three different nonionic surfactants: hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E6), 2-[4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenoxy]ethanol) knows as Triton X-100 (TХ-100), and two alkyl glucoside surfactants (CnG1) with n-alkane tail fragments and a saccharide hydrophilic head at decane-water and toluene-water interfaces. For TX-100, we composed a model based on the literature forcefield and found a good agreement with the experimental CMC. The head-head interactions are of different origins for different surfactant groups: entropic repulsion between ethylene oxide chains of C12E6 and TX-100, and more chemically specific and complex interactions between the maltose heads of alkyl glucosides. We interpret our results with the Redlich-Peterson equation of monolayer adsorption in order to relate the adsorption to the bulk concentration of the surfactant and the interfacial tension. The densities of the adsorbed monolayer at CMC mostly agree with the experimental data, and a reasonable agreement was obtained for the interfacial tension at CMC. At the same time, we found significant discrepancies between the simulated and experimental adsorption isotherms. We explain them by the oversimplified forcefield: when the parameters are fitted to the free energies of bulk solutions, they may not correctly reproduce the interfacial free energies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aleksey M Vishnyakov
- Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Russia
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12
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Lavagnini E, Cook JL, Warren PB, Hunter CA. Systematic Parameterization of Ion-Surfactant Interactions in Dissipative Particle Dynamics Using Setschenow Coefficients. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:2308-2315. [PMID: 35290050 PMCID: PMC9098171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Dissipative
particle dynamics (DPD) simulations of nonionic surfactants
with an added salt show that the Setschenow relationship is reproduced;
that is, the critical micelle concentration is log-linearly dependent
on the added salt concentration. The simulated Setschenow coefficients
depend on the DPD bead–bead repulsion amplitudes, and matching
to the experimentally determined values provides a systematic method
to parameterize the interactions between salt ion beads and surfactant
beads. The optimized ion-specific interaction parameters appear to
be transferrable and follow the same trends as the empirical Hofmeister
series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ennio Lavagnini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Joanne L Cook
- Unilever R&D Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington CH63 3JW, U.K
| | - Patrick B Warren
- Unilever R&D Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington CH63 3JW, U.K.,STFC Hartree Centre, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD, U.K
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
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13
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Chen IC, Lee MT. Rhamnolipid Biosurfactants for Oil Recovery: Salt Effects on the Structural Properties Investigated by Mesoscale Simulations. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:6223-6237. [PMID: 35224385 PMCID: PMC8867548 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Rhamnolipids (RLs) are biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas. The biodegradability and the variety of their functionality make them suitable for environmental remediation and oil recovery. We use dissipative particle dynamics simulations to investigate the aggregation behaviors of ionic RL congeners with nonane in various operating conditions. Under zero-salinity conditions, all RL congeners studied here form small ellipsoidal clusters with detectable free surfactants. When salt ions are present, the electrostatic repulsion between the ionized heads is overcome, resulting in the formation of larger aggregates of unique structures. RLs with C10-alkyl tails tend to form elongated wormlike micelles, while RLs with C16-alkyl tails tend to form clusters in spherical symmetry, including vesicles. Di-rhamnolipids (dRLs) require stronger solvation than monorhamnolipids (mRLs) to form clusters, and the resulting size of micelles is decreased. The morphology of the mixed dRL/mRL/oil systems is controlled based on the type of the congeners and the oil contents. In addition, the divalent calcium ions are found to be influential to the structure of the micelles through different mechanisms. For 5 wt % salinity, the ionic RLs can form oil-swollen micelles up to a 1:1 surfactant-to-oil ratio, suggesting that ionic RLs are superb to act as cleaning agents for petroleum hydrocarbons in the marine area. These key findings may guide the design for RL-based washing techniques in enhanced oil recovery.
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14
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DPD Simulation on the Transformation and Stability of O/W and W/O Microemulsions. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27041361. [PMID: 35209153 PMCID: PMC8878357 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The dissipative particle dynamics simulation method is adopted to investigate the microemulsion systems prepared with surfactant (H1T1), oil (O) and water (W), which are expressed by coarse-grained models. Two topologies of O/W and W/O microemulsions are simulated with various oil and water ratios. Inverse W/O microemulsion transform to O/W microemulsion by decreasing the ratio of oil-water from 3:1 to 1:3. The stability of O/W and W/O microemulsion is controlled by shear rate, inorganic salt and the temperature, and the corresponding results are analyzed by the translucent three-dimensional structure, the mean interfacial tension and end-to-end distance of H1T1. The results show that W/O microemulsion is more stable than O/W microemulsion to resist higher inorganic salt concentration, shear rate and temperature. This investigation provides a powerful tool to predict the structure and the stability of various microemulsion systems, which is of great importance to developing new multifunctional microemulsions for multiple applications.
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15
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Liu Y, Aizenberg J, Balazs AC. Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics to Model Effects of Chemical Reactions Occurring within Hydrogels. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11102764. [PMID: 34685205 PMCID: PMC8540124 DOI: 10.3390/nano11102764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Computational models that reveal the structural response of polymer gels to changing, dissolved reactive chemical species would provide useful information about dynamically evolving environments. However, it remains challenging to devise one computational approach that can capture all the interconnected chemical events and responsive structural changes involved in this multi-stage, multi-component process. Here, we augment the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method to simulate the reaction of a gel with diffusing, dissolved chemicals to form kinetically stable complexes, which in turn cause concentration-dependent deformation of the gel. Using this model, we also examine how the addition of new chemical stimuli and subsequent reactions cause the gel to exhibit additional concentration-dependent structural changes. Through these DPD simulations, we show that the gel forms multiple latent states (not just the “on/off”) that indicate changes in the chemical composition of the fluidic environment. Hence, the gel can actuate a range of motion within the system, not just movements corresponding to the equilibrated swollen or collapsed states. Moreover, the system can be used as a sensor, since the structure of the layer effectively indicates the presence of chemical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Liu
- Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
| | - Joanna Aizenberg
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Anna C. Balazs
- Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
- Correspondence:
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilmoni Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, WB India
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17
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Jamadagni SN, Ko X, Thomas JB, Eike DM. Salt- and pH-Dependent Viscosity of SDS/LAPB Solutions: Experiments and a Semiempirical Thermodynamic Model. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:8714-8725. [PMID: 34270265 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We present novel data on the composition-, pH-, and salt-dependent zero shear viscosity of the commercially important mixture of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and zwitterionic lauramidopropyl betaine (LAPB). We show via proton NMR experiments that the notionally zwitterionic LAPB exhibits a large pKa shift in the presence of SDS and can become partially cationic at formulation-relevant pH ranges of 4.5-6.0-that is, the binary system is effectively a ternary system. This has a pronounced effect on the viscosity of the system at low pH, especially if the fraction of LAPB is high. We use theoretical arguments to motivate a semiempirical but practical approach to model the viscosity of the mixtures using thermodynamic parameters such as the excess chemical potentials or activity coefficients of the surfactants. We demonstrate this using an augmented regular solution theory-based mixed micelle thermodynamic model and develop robust regression models using Bayesian approaches. We also show how the pKa shift from NMR experiments can be used to parameterize the thermodynamic model. This framework should be extensible to other arbitrary surfactant mixtures in the future and hence will be of broad interest for the development of surfactant formulations for household, personal care, and other applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumanth N Jamadagni
- The Procter & Gamble Company, 8700 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
| | - Xueying Ko
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Jacqueline B Thomas
- The Procter & Gamble Company, 8700 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
| | - David M Eike
- The Procter & Gamble Company, 8700 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
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18
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Del Regno A, Warren PB, Bray DJ, Anderson RL. Critical Micelle Concentrations in Surfactant Mixtures and Blends by Simulation. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:5983-5990. [PMID: 34043913 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We explore the use of coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics simulations to predict critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) in polydisperse surfactant mixtures and blends. By fitting pseudo-phase separation models (PSMs) to aqueous solutions of binary surfactant mixtures at selected compositions above the CMC, we avoid the need for expensive simulations of more complex multicomponent mixtures performed as a function of dilution. The approach is demonstrated for sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) surfactants with polydispersity in the ethoxylate spacer. For this system, we find a modest degree of cooperativity in micelle formation, which we attribute to the reduced repulsion between charged headgroups for surfactants with dissimilar ethoxylate spacer lengths. However, this is insufficient to explain the lowered CMC often observed in commercial SLES samples, which we attribute to the presence of small amounts of unsulfated alkyl ethoxylates and/or traces of salt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalaura Del Regno
- Hartree Centre, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, U.K.,BASF SE, Materials Molecular Modeling, Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Patrick B Warren
- Hartree Centre, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, U.K.,Unilever R&D Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 3JW, U.K
| | - David J Bray
- Hartree Centre, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, U.K
| | - Richard L Anderson
- Hartree Centre, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, U.K
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19
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Lavagnini E, Cook JL, Warren PB, Hunter CA. Translation of Chemical Structure into Dissipative Particle Dynamics Parameters for Simulation of Surfactant Self-Assembly. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3942-3952. [PMID: 33848165 PMCID: PMC8154614 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) can be used to simulate the self-assembly properties of surfactants in aqueous solutions, but in order to simulate a new compound, a large number of new parameters are required. New methods for the calculation of reliable DPD parameters directly from chemical structure are described, allowing the DPD approach to be applied to a much wider range of organic compounds. The parameters required to describe the bonded interactions between DPD beads were calculated from molecular mechanics structures. The parameters required to describe the nonbonded interactions were calculated from surface site interaction point (SSIP) descriptions of molecular fragments that represent individual beads. The SSIPs were obtained from molecular electrostatic potential surfaces calculated using density functional theory and used in the SSIMPLE algorithm to calculate transfer free energies between different bead liquids. This approach was used to calculate DPD parameters for a range of different types of surfactants, which include ester, amide, and sugar moieties. The parameters were used to simulate the self-assembly properties in aqueous solutions, and comparison of the results for 27 surfactants with the available experimental data shows that these DPD simulations accurately predict critical micelle concentrations, aggregation numbers, and the shapes of the supramolecular assemblies formed. The methods described here provide a general approach to determining DPD parameters for neutral organic compounds of arbitrary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ennio Lavagnini
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.
K.
| | - Joanne L. Cook
- Unilever
R&D Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington CH63 3JW, U. K.
| | - Patrick B. Warren
- Unilever
R&D Port Sunlight, Quarry Road East, Bebington CH63 3JW, U. K.
- The
Hartree Centre, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington WA4 4AD, U. K.
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.
K.
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Lee MT. Designing Highly Conductive Block Copolymer-Based Anion Exchange Membranes by Mesoscale Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:2729-2740. [PMID: 33719456 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c10909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hydroxide ion conductivity is a key aspect of anion exchange membranes and is mainly determined by the nanoscale membrane morphologies. Fundamental understanding of the structural and transport properties of membranes in terms of polymer architectures is crucial for future development of membrane-based applications. Using mesoscale simulations, this work predicts the mesostructure of the hydrated triblock copolymers; the designed polymers are composed of aromatic (polyphenylene oxide, PPO) or aliphatic (polystyrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene, SEBS) backbones, with cationic side chains being modified by hydrophobic or hydrophilic spacers. For PPO-based polymers, using octyl spacers creates a meshlike water network, yielding ion conductivity equal to 30.6 mS/cm at room temperature. For SEBS-based polymers, the nonmodified form is sufficient to produce ion-conducting pathways. Adding hydrophobic spacers further enhances the nanosegregation, and the membranes provide similar conductivity at a lower ion exchange capacity and water content. Adding hydrophilic spacers, however, has negative impacts on the ion transport. The side chains are in the stretched configurations, which sterically hinder the mobility of water and hydroxide ions. Such a resistance can be overcome by adapting multication side-chain designs, where large water channels are formed, yielding ion conductivity as high as 32.8 mS/cm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Tsung Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan
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