Extraction Separation of BSA in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems of Anionic and Cationic Surfactant Mixtures

Aqueous Two-Phase Systems Based on Cationic and Anionic Surfactants Mixture for Rapid Extraction and Colorimetric Determination of Synthetic Food Dyes

In this study, aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) containing a cationic and anionic surfactants mixture were used for the preconcentration of the synthetic food dyes Allura Red AC, Azorubine, Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine, and Fast Green FCF. A rapid, simple, low cost, affordable, and environmentally friendly methodology based on microextraction in ATPSs, followed by spectrophotometric/colorimetric determination of the dyes, is proposed. The ATPSs are formed in mixtures of benzethonium chloride (BztCl) and sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate (NaLS) or sodium dihexylsulfosuccinate (NaDHSS) under the molar ratio close to equimolar at the total surfactant concentration of 0.01-0.20 M. The density, viscosity, polarity, and water content in the surfactant-rich phases at an equimolar ratio BztCl:NaA were determined. The effects of pH, total surfactant concentration, dye concentration, and time of extraction/centrifugation were investigated, and the optimum conditions for the quantitative extraction of dyes were established. The smartphone-based colorimetric determination was employed directly in the extract without separating the aqueous phase. The analytical performance (calibration linearity, precision, limits of detection and quantification, reproducibility, and preconcentration factor) and comparison of the spectrophotometric and smartphone-based colorimetric determination of dyes were evaluated. The method was applied to the determination of dyes in food samples and food-processing industrial wastewater.

Effect of Additives on the Phase Behavior of SDS/CTAB/H2O Systems

The effect of additives on the phase behavior of aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) has been studied in detail for extended applications. The results showed that both the widths of an anionic two-phase aqueous system (ATPSa) region with SDS in excess and a aqueous cationic two-phase system (ATPSc) region with CTAB in excess are very narrow, less than 1% in absence of any additives. However, phase regions of ATPS move toward the corresponding isotropic single phase regions and become wider in the presence of inorganic additives such as NaBr in the aqueous surfactant solutions. This is because the addition of inorganic salt increases the concentration of inorganic counter-ions and therefore the electrostatic interactions between counter-ions and surfactant aggregates. Meanwhile, the organic salts, sodium salicylate and tetrabutylammonium bromide, have been found to have a greater capacity to expand the range of ATPS because the electrostatic interactions between organic ions and aggregates were adjustable through the deformation of the electron cloud of organic ions. Organic additives with different properties can effectively extend the range of either ATPSc or ATPSa. Wherein, sodium salicylate can expand ATPSc efficiently and tetrabutylammonium bromide can expand ATPSa significantly.