Adsorption of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers with end-capped cationic chains of poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)

Rhamnolipid Micellization and Adsorption Properties

Biosurfactants are naturally occurring amphiphiles that are being actively pursued as alternatives to synthetic surfactants in cleaning, personal care, and cosmetic products. On the basis of their ability to mobilize and disperse hydrocarbons, biosurfactants are also involved in the bioremediation of oil spills. Rhamnolipids are low molecular weight glycolipid biosurfactants that consist of a mono- or di-rhamnose head group and a hydrocarbon fatty acid chain. We examine here the micellization of purified mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids in aqueous solutions and their adsorption on model solid surfaces. Rhamnolipid micellization in water is endothermic; the CMC (critical micellization concentration) of di-rhamnolipid is lower than that of mono-rhamnolipid, and both CMCs decrease upon NaCl addition. Rhamnolipid adsorption on gold surface is mostly reversible and the adsorbed layer is rigid. A better understanding of biosurfactant self-assembly and adsorption properties is important for their utilization in consumer products and environmental applications.

Adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-containing amphiphilic polymers on solid-liquid interfaces: Fundamentals and applications

The adsorption of amphiphilic molecules of varying size on solid-liquid interfaces modulates the properties of colloidal systems. Nonionic, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based amphiphilic molecules are particularly useful because of their graded hydrophobic-hydrophilic nature, which allows for adsorption on a wide array of solid surfaces. Their adsorption also results in other useful properties, such as responsiveness to external stimuli and solubilization of hydrophobic compounds. This review focuses on the adsorption properties of PEO-based amphiphiles, beginning with a discussion of fundamental concepts pertaining to the adsorption of macromolecules on solid-liquid interfaces, and more specifically the adsorption of PEO homopolymers. The main portion of the review highlights studies on factors affecting the adsorption and surface self-assembly of PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers, where PPO is poly(propylene oxide). Block copolymers of this type are commercially available and of interest in several fields, due to their low toxicity and compatibility in aqueous systems. Examples of applications relevant to the interfacial behavior of PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers are paints and coatings, detergents, filtration, and drug delivery. The methods discussed herein for manipulating the adsorption properties of PEO-PPO-PEO are emphasized for their ability to shed light on molecular interactions at interfaces. Knowledge of these interactions guides the formulation of novel materials with useful mesoscale organization and micro- and macrophase properties.

Effect of Lipoxygenase Oxidation on Surface Deposition of Unsaturated Fatty Acids

We studied the interactions of lipid molecules (linoleic acid, glycerol trilinoleate and a complex mixture of wood extractives) with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces (cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), respectively). The effect of lipoxygenase treatment to minimize the affinity of the lipids with the given surface was considered. Application of an electroacoustic sensing technique (QCM) allowed the monitoring of the kinetics of oxidation as well as dynamics of lipid deposition on CNF and PET. The effect of the lipoxygenase enzymes (LOX) was elucidated with regards to their ability to reduce the formation of soiling lipid layers. The results pointed to the fact that the rate of colloidal oxidation depended on the type of lipid substrate. The pretreatment of the lipids with LOX reduced substantially their affinity to the surfaces, especially PET. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensograms confirmed the effect of oxidation in decreasing the extent of deposition on the hydrophilic CNF. QCM energy dissipation analyses revealed the possible presence of a loosely adsorbed lipid layer on the PET surface. The morphology of the deposits accumulated on the solids was determined by atomic force microscopy and indicated important changes upon lipid treatment with LOX. The results highlighted the benefit of enzyme as a biobased treatment to reduce hydrophobic interactions, thus providing a viable solution to the control of lipid deposition from aqueous media.

PNIPAmx–PPO36–PNIPAmx thermo-sensitive triblock copolymers: chain conformation and adsorption behavior on a hydrophobic gold surface

The presence of the PNIPAm block is not a sufficient condition for the complex adsorption behavior of PNIPAm_x–PPO₃₆–PNIPAm_x triblock copolymers.

Effects of anionic surfactants on the water permeability of a model stratum corneum lipid membrane

The stratum corneum (SC) is the ourtermost layer of the epidermis and has a brick-and-mortar-like structure, in which multilamellar lipid bilayers surround flattened dead cells known as corneocytes. The SC lipid membranes provide the main pathway for the transport of water and other substances through the SC. While the physicochemical properties of the SC can be affected by exogenous materials such as surfactants, little is known about how the water barrier function of the SC lipid membranes is compromised by common surfactants. Here, we study the effect of common anionic surfactants on the water permeability of a model SC lipid membrane using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Particularly, the effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) is compared. These two surfactants share commonality in their molecular structure: sulfate in the polar headgroup and the same apolar tail. The mass of the lipid membranes increases after the surfactant treatment at or above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactants due to their absorption into the membranes. The incorporation of the surfactants into the lipid membranes is also accompanied by partial dissolution of the lipids from the model SC lipid membranes as confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Although the water sorption of pure SDS is much lower than that of pure SLES, the water sorption of SDS-treated membranes increases significantly similar to that of SLES-treated membranes. By combining QCM-D and FT-IR spectroscopy, we find that the chain conformational order and stiffness of the lipid membranes decrease after SDS treatment, resulting in the increased water sorption and diffusivity. In contrast, the conformational order and stiffness of the SLES-treated lipid membranes increase, suggesting that the increased water sorption capacity of SLES-treated lipid membranes is due to the hygroscopic nature of SLES.

Lipid exchange between membranes: effects of membrane surface charge, composition, and curvature

Intermembrane lipid exchange is critical to membrane functions and pharmaceutical applications. The exchange process is not fully understood and it is explored by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitor method in this research. It is found that intermembrane lipid exchange is accelerated with the decrease of vesicle size and the increase of charge and liquid crystalline lipid composition ratio. Vesicle adsorption rate, membrane lateral pressure gradient, and lipid lateral diffusion coefficient are inferred to be critical in deciding the lipid exchange kinetics between membranes. Besides that, the membrane contact situation during lipid exchange is also studied. The maximum total membrane contact area is found to increase with the decrease of vesicle size, charged and liquid crystalline lipid composition ratio. A competition mechanism between the vesicle adsorption rate and the intermembrane lipid exchange rate was proposed to control the maximum total membrane contact area.