Thermodynamic Analysis of the Adsorption and Micellization Activity of the Mixtures of Rhamnolipid and Surfactin with Triton X-165

Simulation Study on Molecular Behavior of Rhamnolipids and Biobased Zwitterionic Surfactants at the Oil/Water Interface: Effect of Rhamnose Moiety Structures

Molecular behavior of rhamnolipid mixed with a biobased zwitterionic surfactant at an n-hexadecane/water interface has been studied, and the effects of a rhamnose moiety and composition are evaluated. Results showed that rhamnolipid abundantly interacts with biobased surfactant EAB by means of hydrophobic interactions between aliphatic tails and electrostatic interactions between headgroups, including the attractive interaction between COO- of rhamnolipids and N+ of biobased surfactants and the repulsive interaction between COO- of both surfactants. Dirhamnolipid has a larger number of bound Na+ and a more stable bound structure of COO- ∼ Na+, which screens the repulsive interaction between two kinds of surfactants and shows a more homogeneous distribution with biobased surfactants. The interfacial tension between n-hexadecane and water has been synergistically reduced by dirhamnolipids mixed with biobased surfactants at a higher molar ratio of biobased surfactants. Monorhamnolipids show a strengthened interaction with N+ of biobased surfactants and a more stable hydrogen bond with water relative to that of dirhamnolipids, and there is no synergistic effect in lowering the interfacial tension for the mixture of monorhamnolipids and biobased surfactants. The present work provides details of the molecular behavior of biosurfactant rhamnolipids mixed with biobased surfactants and obtains the key factor in affecting the interfacial properties of the binary system.

Wetting Behaviour of Water, Ethanol, Rhamnolipid, and Triton X-165 Mixture in the Polymer-Solution Drop-Air System

Despite the fact that the wetting properties of multicomponent mixtures including the surface active compounds play a very important role in many practical applications, they are not sufficiently known. Thus, the wettability of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by the water + ethanol (ET) solution of rhamnolipid (RL) with Triton X-165 (TX165) mixture was studied. The investigations involved measuring the advancing contact angles of this solution on PTFE and PMMA by varying the concentration of TX165 while maintaining a constant concentration of ET and RL. Additionally, a thermodynamic analysis was conducted to obtain the compositions and concentrations of the ET, RL, and TX165 mixtures at the different interfaces. The composition and concentration of the interface mixed layer were considered using two different approaches to the wetting process. From these considerations, it follows that, depending on the ET concentration, it is possible to form the TX165 + RL layer at the solid-water + ET mixed solvent, as well as the water + ET-air interfaces, but not at the solid-water and water-air ones. This conclusion is in accordance with the Gibbs standard free energy of adsorption of particular components of the studied mixture at the solution-air and solid-solution interfaces.

Thermodynamic Characterization of Rhamnolipid, Triton X-165 and Ethanol as well as Their Mixture Behaviour at the Water-Air Interface

In many industrial fields, in medicine or pharmacy, there are used multi-component mixtures of surfactants as well as more and more often mixtures containing biosurfactants. Thus, in our study the mixtures of rhamnolipid (RL), ethanol (ET) and Triton X-165 (TX165) were applied. For these mixtures the surface tension of aqueous solutions with constant concentration and composition of ET and RL as well as the variable concentration of TX165 was measured. Based on the obtained results and the literature data, thermodynamic analyses of the adsorption process of ET, RL, TX165, binary mixtures of ET + RL, ET + TX165 and RL + TX165 as well as the ternary mixtures of RL + ET + TX165 at the water-air interface were made. This analysis allows to propose a new equation for calculation of the total ethanol concentration at the water-air interface using the Guggenheim-Adam adsorption isotherm. The constants in the Langmuir and Szyszkowski equations for each component of the studied mixtures as well as the composition of the mixed monolayer at the water-air interface were also successfully analysed based on the contribution of particular surface active compounds to the water surface tension reduction as well as based on the Frumkin isotherm of adsorption.

Thermodynamic Consideration of the Solid Saponin Extract Drop-Air System

The aim of this research was to elucidate the surface active properties of Saponaria officinalis (soapwort) extract containing the plant surfactants saponins. To this end, the advancing contact angle (θ) of water, formamide and diiodomethane on the glass, as well as θ of the aqueous solution of S. officinalis extract fractions on PTFE, PMMA and glass, were studied. Based on the obtained results, the wetting behaviour of saponins was considered with regard to the surface tension components and parameters of the solutions and solids. The investigations also involved the description of the θ isotherms, the dependences between the cosine of contact angle and/or the adhesion of the solution to the solid surfaces and solution surface tension, as well as the critical surface tension of PTFE, PMMA and glass wetting. These dependences were studied based on the saponin adsorption at the different interfaces, which was deduced from the dependence between the adhesion and surface tension of the solution, as well as using the Gibbs and Frumkin isotherm equations. This proved that the saponins are poor wetting agents and that the contact angle isotherm can be described by the exponential function of the second order as well as the Szyszkowski equation, but only for PTFE.

Adsorption and volumetric properties of some nonionic surfactants and their mixtures with quercetin and rutin

The adsorption and volumetric properties of the Triton X-114 (TX114), Tween 80 (T80), quercetin (Q) and rutin (Ru) at the different temperatures in relation to above properties of the TX114 and T80 mixtures with quercetin and rutin in the absence and presence of alcohol were discussed based on the studies reported in the literature. The adsorption isotherms of the mixtures of the nonionic surfactants with flavonoids in the presence and absence of alcohol were analyzed based on the isotherms of the surface tension of the particular mixture components and thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption of these components at the water-air interface. The surface tension isotherms of the particular component of the mixtures were taken into account while considering the surface tension isotherms of the mixtures and the composition of the mixed surface layer at the water-air interface. Different ways of the mixed surface layer composition determination were shown. The values of the surface tension and composition of the mixed surface layers obtained using different methods were discussed in the light of the intermolecular interactions and their contribution to the surface tension of the surfactants mixture with flavonoids and alcohol. The composition of the mixed monolayer and the bulk phase were compared and the differences between them were explained. The behaviour of the nonionic surfactants and flavonoids in the presence and absence of alcohol was analyzed in relation to the micelle formations and molar volumes of the mixtures and their components. Moreover, the micelles composition and their size as well as the thermodynamic parameters of the micellization process were analyzed.

Rhamnolipid Self-Aggregation in Aqueous Media: A Long Journey toward the Definition of Structure–Property Relationships

The need to protect human and environmental health and avoid the widespread use of substances obtained from nonrenewable sources is steering research toward the discovery and development of new molecules characterized by high biocompatibility and biodegradability. Due to their very widespread use, a class of substances for which this need is particularly urgent is that of surfactants. In this respect, an attractive and promising alternative to commonly used synthetic surfactants is represented by so-called biosurfactants, amphiphiles naturally derived from microorganisms. One of the best-known families of biosurfactants is that of rhamnolipids, which are glycolipids with a headgroup formed by one or two rhamnose units. Great scientific and technological effort has been devoted to optimization of their production processes, as well as their physicochemical characterization. However, a conclusive structure–function relationship is far from being defined. In this review, we aim to move a step forward in this direction, by presenting a comprehensive and unified discussion of physicochemical properties of rhamnolipids as a function of solution conditions and rhamnolipid structure. We also discuss still unresolved issues that deserve further investigation in the future, to allow the replacement of conventional surfactants with rhamnolipids.

Wetting Properties of Rhamnolipid and Surfactin Mixtures with Triton X-165

The wetting properties of the rhamnolipid and surfactin mixtures with Triton X-165 were considered based on the contact angle measurements of their aqueous solution on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and quartz (Q) surfaces. The obtained contact angle isotherms were described by the exponential function of the second order as well as by Szyszkowski equation in some cases. Using the contact angle isotherms of individual biosurfactants and TX165 as well as the earlier obtained isotherms of their surface tension the contact angle isotherms of the biosurfactants mixtures with TX165 were deduced. As follows the presence of the maxima on the contact angle isotherms of the biosurfactants mixtures with TX165 is justified. They do not prove negative adsorption of the biosurfactant and TX165 at the interfaces. However, the mutual exchange of the biosurfactant and TX165 molecules is observed in the layers at the interfaces. The concentration of the studied mixtures at the PTFE-solution interface was established to be close to that at the solution-air one but that at the PTFE-air is equal to zero. However, the concentration of the studied mixtures at the PMMA-solution and quartz-solution is greater than zero. The concentration at the PMMA(quartz)-air and PMMA(quartz)-solution interfaces is smaller than that at the solution-air one.