Deposition of Synthetic and Bio-Based Polycations onto Negatively Charged Solid Surfaces: Effect of the Polymer Cationicity, Ionic Strength, and the Addition of an Anionic Surfactant

Abstract

The deposition of layers of different polycations (synthetic or derived from natural, renewable resources) onto oppositely charged surfaces has been studied using ellipsometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Information about the thickness of the deposited layers and their water content was ascertained. The adsorption of the different polycations onto negatively charged surfaces was found to be a complex process, which is influenced by the chemical nature of the polymer chains, ionic strength, polymer concentration and the addition of additives such as surfactants. The experimental picture shows a good agreement with theoretical calculations performed using the Self-Consistent Mean Field (SCF) approach. The results show that the electrostatically-driven deposition can be tuned by modifying the physico-chemical properties of the solutions and the chemical nature of the adsorbed polymer. This versatile approach is a big step forward in aiding the design of new polymers for many industrial applications and, in particular, the design of sustainable washing formulations for cosmetic applications.

Polyelectrolyte Multilayers on Soft Colloidal Nanosurfaces: A New Life for the Layer-By-Layer Method

“…This increases the hydrophilicity of the liposome, and reduces the biofouling phenomena; i.e., the adsorption of plasmatic proteins and lipoproteins [ 231 , 232 ]. Other polymers used for coating liposomes with a single layer are chitosan or poly(vinyl alcohol) [ 233 , 234 , 235 ].…”

Impact of polyelectrolyte‐surfactant interactions on the rheology and wet lubrication performance of conditioning shampoo

“…The complex interactions between surfactants and polymers have gained considerable attention because of their wide range of industrial applications. A polymer‐surfactant complex is formed when a charged surfactant is introduced into an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte solution [1–5]. Gradual addition of an ionic surfactant to a polyelectrolyte solution leads to the formation of surfactant ion aggregates on the charged polymer when the surfactant concentration is greater than the critical association concentration (cac) [2, 6].…”

“…Gradual addition of an ionic surfactant to a polyelectrolyte solution leads to the formation of surfactant ion aggregates on the charged polymer when the surfactant concentration is greater than the critical association concentration (cac) [2, 6]. The properties of this association structure can depend on numerous factors including the type of the surfactant head group, the polar groups of the polymer backbone and the polymer hydrophobicity [1]. The physico‐chemical properties of these oppositely charged polymer‐surfactant complexes in the bulk as well as at various surfaces and interfaces have garnered a lot of interest over the years as these association structures can be easily tuned in order to achieve desired solution properties [1–14].…”

“…As previously mentioned, polymer‐surfactant complexes can modify the bulk and interfacial properties of the solution, and this in turn can affect the cleansing, foaming, wettability or lubrication efficacy of the formulation [4, 5]. Furthermore, these complexes have also been reported to enhance the deposition and hydration properties of polymers [1]. All the above‐mentioned properties are critical performance parameters for any product within the cosmetic and personal care industry.…”

Evaporation of Sessile Droplets of Polyelectrolyte/Surfactant Mixtures on Silicon Wafers

“…In particular, the performance of hair conditioner formulations is related to the layer of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes adsorbed on the hair fibers after drying the hair [27][28][29][30][31][32]. It should be noted that together with the cosmetic industry, polyelectrolyte-surfactant mixtures are widespread in many other industries, ranging from detergency to tertiary oil recovery, and from dietary products and pharmaceutics to wood pulping [27,[33][34][35], with the understanding of the combined effect of evaporation and adsorption of surface active compounds to the involved interfaces being critical for their optimization [36,37].…”