Academic literature on the topic 'Surfactants'

<p>The first part of this thesis is concerned with thestructure-property relationships in nonionic surfactantsystems. The main aim was to investigate how the surfactantstructure influences the adsorption at interfaces andinteractions between surfactant coated interfaces.Particularly, the effect of the structure of the surfactantheadgroups was investigated. These were sugar-based headgroupwith varying size and flexibility and poly(ethylene oxide)based headgroups with or without an additional amide or estergroup. The hydrophobic part of the surfactant consisted mostlyof straight alkyl chains, except for one type of poly(ethyleneoxide) based surfactant with a dehydroabietic hydrophobe.</p><p>The main technique that was used is the surface forcetechnique, with which the forces acting between two adsorbedsurfactant layers on hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces can bemeasured. These forces are important for e.g. the stability ofdispersions. The hydrophilic surfaces employed were glass andmica, whereas the hydrophobic surfaces were silanized glass andhydrophobized mica. The adsorption behavior on hydrophilicsurfaces is highly dependent on the type of headgroup andsurface, whereas similar results were obtained on the two typesof hydrophobic surfaces. To better understand how the surfaceforces are affected by the surfactant structure, measurementsof adsorbed amount and theoretical mean-field latticecalculations were carried out. The results show that the sugarsurfactant layers and poly(ethylene oxide) surfactant layersgive rise to very different surface forces, but that the forcesare more similar within each group. The structure-propertyrelationships for many other physical properties have beenstudied as well. These include equilibrium and dynamicadsorption at the liquid-vapor interface, micelle size, micelledynamics, and wetting.</p><p>The second part in this thesis is about the aggregationbetween cationic polyelectrolytes and an anionic surfactant.The surface force technique was used to study the adsorption ofa low charged cationic polyelectrolyte on mica, and theaggregation between the adsorbed polyelectrolyte with theanionic surfactant. The aggregation in bulk was studied withturbidimetry, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and smallangle x-ray scattering (SAXS). An internal hexagonal aggregatestructure was found for some of the bulk aggregates.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>nonionic surfactant, sugar surfactant,poly(ethylene oxide), amide, ester, polyelectrolyte, SDS,hydrophobic surface, glass surface, mica, adsorption,aggregation, micelle size, surface forces, wetting, dynamicsurface tension, NMR, TRFQ, SANS, SAXS, mean-field latticecalculations.</p>

Les propriétés d’auto organisation de tensioactifs ainsi que celles de la chimie de la silice ont permis de préparer des matériaux mésoporeux organisés selon une symétrie hexagonale, cubique ou lamellaire dont la taille des pores varie de 2 à plus de 10 nm. Ils sont depuis quelques années le centre d’intérêt d’universitaires et d’industriels qui développent des recherches fondamentales et appliquées. La compréhension globale des mécanismes de synthèse et la maîtrise des propriétés structurales et texturales des matériaux mésoporeux sont nécessaires pour envisager leur utilisation dans un quelconque procédé industriel. Dans ce cadre, nous avons étudié les relations entre les propriétés physico-chimiques d’un tensioactif fluoré C7F15C2H4(OC2H4)8OH et les caractéristiques des silices mésoporeuses. Malgré l’existence d’une phase micellaire, les canaux poreux des matériaux obtenus avec ces solutions micellaires ne sont pas organisés. En revanche, l’addition de la perfluorodécaline provoque une structuration du matériau selon une symétrie hexagonale. L’utilisation de divers fluorocarbures, ayant des structures moléculaires différentes, montre que le phénomène est associé au déplacement de la courbe de point de trouble vers les hautes températures. De plus, il a été montre que la préparation de matériaux à porosité hiérarchisée à partir d'émulsions de type huile dans eau est corrélée à la température d’inversion de phase du système eau/huile/tensioactif. Enfin, les matériaux mésoporeux ont été mis à profit pour immobiliser des enzymes et les résultats montrent que les lipases physisorbées conservent une activité catalytique<br>The self-assembly properties of surfactants and those of silica chemistry have led to the preparation of ordered mesoporous materials with hexagonal, cubic or lamellar symmetry and with pore sizes varying from 2 to more than 10 nm. Recently, they have aroused of great deal of interest to academics and industrialists for the development of fundamental and applied research. However, their use in any industrial process needs a careful consideration of the total comprehension of the synthesis mechanism as well as the control of their structural and textural properties. In this work, the relation between the physicochemical properties of a fluorinated surfactant, C7F15C2H4(OC2H4)8OH, and the characteristics of mesoporous silica was investigated. In spite of the existence of a micellar phase, only wormlike mesoporous materials were obtained. On the other hand, the addition of the perfluorodecalin led to the organisation of the channels according to a hexagonal symmetry. The use of various fluorocarbons of different molecular structures evidenced that this phenomenon is associated to the shift of the cloud point curve towards higher temperatures. Hierarchically porous silica were also prepared from oil-in-water emulsions and their characteristics were correlated to the phase inversion temperature of the surfactant/water/oil system. Finally, the mesoporous materials were used as hosts for the physisorption of enzymes and the results showed that the catalytic activity of the immobilised lipases is preserved

<p>This thesis deals with the synthesis and characterization ofnovel polyhydroxyl surfactants. The first part describes thesynthesis of a number of stereoisomers of a polyhydroxylsurfactant, and the second part concerns surface chemicalcharacterization.</p><p>A stereodivergent route for preparation of the hydrophilichead group was developed, featuring consecutive stereoselectivedihydroxylations of a diene. This afforded in total fourdifferent polyhydroxyl head groups. These surfactant headgroups were natural and unnatural sugar analogues, and wereused for the coupling with two different hydrophobic tailgroups.</p><p>Three of these surfactants were used to investigate thechiral discrimination in Langmuir monolayers at an air-waterinterface. The isotherms showed a remarkable difference incompressibility between surfactants of diastereomericrelationship and also a pronounced chiral discriminationbetween racemic and enantiomerically pure surfactants favoringheterochiral discrimination.</p>

Submitted by Haroudo Xavier Filho (haroudo.xavierfo@ufpe.br) on 2016-07-01T14:17:21Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Versão em PDF.pdf: 1393964 bytes, checksum: 9f6914af2635718fc925ce4690531587 (MD5)<br>Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-01T14:17:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertação Versão em PDF.pdf: 1393964 bytes, checksum: 9f6914af2635718fc925ce4690531587 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-01-30<br>CAPES<br>O LAS é um tensoativo usado na fabricação de produtos de limpeza, sendo sua degradação no tratamento aeróbio altamente eficaz. Todavia, em ambientes anaeróbios, sua biodegradação depende de vários fatores, como a composição e concentração de alguns compostos dos esgotos. Por isso, as eficiências de degradação do LAS neste ambiente são distintas, variando de 0 a 78%. No Brasil, devido a uma carência na área do saneamento, alternativas mais baratas para o tratamento de esgoto estão sendo amplamente utilizadas. Os reatores anaeróbios do tipo UASB são um exemplo destas alternativas, devido a sua alta eficiência de remoção de matéria orgânica. Entretanto, atualmente em uma estação de tratamento de esgoto, o objetivo não é apenas a matéria orgânica de fácil degradação, mas também compostos recalcitrantes e nutrientes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo aplicar em um reator contínuo, alimentado com esgoto real, um modelo de otimização, realizado em laboratório com regime em batelada, para verificar reprodutibilidade da influência de alguns parâmetros na dinâmica de sorção/dessorção do LAS em reatores utilizados em estações de tratamento de esgoto convencionais. Foram realizados dois experimentos. O experimentoI foi o monitoramento de um reator UASB em escala de laboratório. Este reator era alimentado com esgoto de uma estação de tratamento real, ETE Mangueira. Alterações no afluente foram realizadas para proporcionar a adsorção do LAS na biomassa. O pH foi ajustado para 6. Seguindo um planejamento fatorial 2K, o reator foi operado em 4 fases alterando a concentração de óleo, entre 0 e 5 g/L e a oxigenação ou não do LAS. O experimento II foi um teste de laboratório de adsorção e de dessorção, utilizando a mesma biomassa do reator do primeiro experimento. Foram submetidas diferentes concentrações de LAS (10, 20 e 100 mg/L), e diferentes tempos de mistura. Durante o período de operação, observou-se a ocorrência de adsorção e dessorção do LAS no lodo, bem como biodegradação, quando a adsorção foi baixa; as eficiências de degradação do LAS total nas diversas fases experimentais variaram de 0 a 33%. Os homólogos C12 e C13 foram os que sofreram maior degradação durante todo período de operação, com eficiências de 42 e 57% de sua massa inicial, respectivamente, na fase com alteração apenas do pH; o C13 foi o homólogo de maior taxa de adsorção, 97% de sua massa inicial. Isto ocorreu quando a concentração de óleo foi de 5 g/L e não foi realizado aeração do LAS. No teste de adsorção, os resultados obtidos mostraram que a adsorção na biomassa seca depende da disponibilidade de LAS no líquido. No teste de dessorção o comportamento de liberação de LAS no meio aquoso foi lento. Os testes mostraram capacidade reversível da adsorção do LAS, comprovando que a dinâmica de adsorção e dessorção do LAS no reator depende da composição do meio líquido e da forma de operação do reator, e que sua indisponibilidade no meio solúvel impede a degradação. Logo, o processo de adsorção inibe a degradação do LAS em ambientes anaeróbios e os resultados obtidos no teste de otimização em laboratório foram também observados em reatores operados com esgoto real.<br>LAS is a surfactant used in the manufacture of cleaning products, and its degradation in the highly efficient aerobic treatment. However, in anaerobic environments, biodegradation depends on several factors, including the composition and concentration of certain compounds of sewage. Therefore, the LAS this environmental degradation efficiencies are different, ranging from 0 to 78%. In Brazil, due to a lack in the sanitation area, cheaper alternatives for the treatment of sewage are being widely used. The anaerobic reactor of the UASB type are an example of these alternatives, due to its high removal efficiency of organic matter. However, currently a sewage treatment plant, the aim is not only the organic matter degradation easily, but also nutrients and recalcitrant compounds. This study aimed to apply in a continuous reactor, fed with real wastewater, an optimization model, conducted in laboratory batch system to check reproducibility of the influence of some parameters on dynamic sorption / desorption of LAS reactors used in stations Conventional sewage treatment. Two experiments were conducted. The first was a monitoring of a UASB reactor at laboratory scale. This reactor was fed with sewage a real treatment plant, ETE hose. Changes in the influent were performed to provide the adsorption of LAS biomass. The pH was adjusted to 6. By following a factorial design 2K, the reactor was operated at four stages by changing the concentration of oil, between 0 and 5 g / L and oxygenation or not the LAS. The second experiment was a laboratory test adsorption and desorption using the same biomass from the first reactor experiment. They underwent different concentrations of LAS, 10, 20 and 100 mg / L, and different mixing times. During the operation period, it was observed the occurrence of adsorption and desorption of LAS in the sludge as well as biodegradation when adsorption was low; The degradation efficiency of the total LAS in the different experimental phases ranging from 0 to 33%. The C12 and C13 homologues have suffered the greatest degradation during the entire operating period, efficiency 42 and 57% of their initial mass, respectively, in phase with the pH change only; the C13 was the counterpart of higher adsorption rate, 97% of its initial mass. This occurred when the oil concentration was 5 g / L and aeration was not performed LAS. In the adsorption test, the results showed that adsorption of dry biomass depends on the availability of LAS in the liquid. In desorption test the LAS release behavior in aqueous media was slow. The tests showed reversible adsorption capacity of the LAS, proving that the dynamics of adsorption and desorption of LAS in the reactor depends on the composition of the liquid medium and form of reactor operation, and that their unavailability in the middle soluble prevents degradation. Therefore, the adsorption process inhibits the degradation of LAS in anaerobic environments and the results obtained in laboratory test optimization are also observed in reactors operated with real sewage.

Surfactants comprise one of the largest volume commodity chemicals in the world and have multifarious uses from pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, food, fuel and lubricant additives, paints and inks as well as detergents and cleaning agents. The ability to control surfactants once they are in solution is of great importance not only for scientific reasons but also because of environmental and economic interest. To this end, surfactants sensitive to changes in pH, temperature, C02, light and redox have already been developed. This thesis investigates a new class of surfactants designed to be magnetically active, whereby the composition and physico-chemical properties of a system may be perturbed simply by the switching "on" and "off" of a magnetic switch and with no significant energy input. The thesis demonstrates that these new magneto-responsive surfactants behave like conventional surfactants but are now bifunctional allowing for new magnetic approaches where previously magnetic nanoparticles have been employed. For example, the magnetic properties makes it easier to round up and remove the surfactant from a system once it has been added. By developing the first nanoparticle-free magnetic emulsions the potential for further applications in environmental clean ups (e.g. oil spills), water treatment or drug delivery have been demonstrated. In addition to this, the combination of surfactant adsorption and intrinsic magnetism has allowed for the control and manipulation of biomolecules without the need for magnetic nanoparticles. This work explores both the fundamental properties of these novel surfactants and also takes significant steps to optimize the surfactants for potential applications.