TY - JOUR
T1 - Visualization of Surfactant Dynamics to and along Oil-Water Interfaces Using Solvatochromic Fluorescent Surfactants
AU - Chen, Christopher V.H.H.
AU - Liu, Ying
AU - Stone, Howard A.
AU - Prud'homme, Robert Krafft
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partially supported by the Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Grants No. N00014-12-1-0875 and No. N00014-12-1-0962 (Program Manager Dr. Ki-Han Kim), and by funding through BP/The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. We acknowledge Dr. Bryan R. Benson for assistance with the glass microfluidic devices, and Dr. Janine K. Nunes for assistance on microfluidic device fabrication and confocal microscopy. We acknowledge Dr. Brian A. Pethica, Dr. Shelly L. Anna, and Dr. Lynn M. Walker for valuable discussions and demonstrations of interfacial tension measurements. Finally, we acknowledge Dr. Nathalie M. Pinkerton, Dr. Robert F. Pagels, and Brian K. Wilson for valuable discussions on chemical synthesis and experimental design.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2018 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2018/9/11
Y1 - 2018/9/11
N2 - Although many theories exist to understand the transport of surfactants to and along interfaces under flow, few techniques are available to directly monitor surfactant dynamics at interfaces. Due to the broad use of surfactants, from oil spill remediation to healthcare and household products, a better means of assessing surfactant dynamics would be widely applicable. Here, we describe and demonstrate the use of fluorescent surfactant-dyes as a means of dynamic visualization of surfactant transport and have synthesized Nile Red/polyethylene glycol (NR-PEG) derivatives for this purpose. These NR-PEG surfactant-dyes fluoresce differently at oil-water interfaces than in bulk aqueous solution, allowing for the selective monitoring of bound and free surfactant using confocal microscopy. We have visualized the transport of surfactants to and along interfaces of droplets in a pipe flow and at the interfaces of liquid-infused surfaces undergoing shear-driven drainage. Imaging surfactant adsorption to interfaces at these time scales will allow for the development of improved dispersant systems for applications such as oil spill remediation and can also be used in understanding other fundamental transport phenomena involving dispersants.
AB - Although many theories exist to understand the transport of surfactants to and along interfaces under flow, few techniques are available to directly monitor surfactant dynamics at interfaces. Due to the broad use of surfactants, from oil spill remediation to healthcare and household products, a better means of assessing surfactant dynamics would be widely applicable. Here, we describe and demonstrate the use of fluorescent surfactant-dyes as a means of dynamic visualization of surfactant transport and have synthesized Nile Red/polyethylene glycol (NR-PEG) derivatives for this purpose. These NR-PEG surfactant-dyes fluoresce differently at oil-water interfaces than in bulk aqueous solution, allowing for the selective monitoring of bound and free surfactant using confocal microscopy. We have visualized the transport of surfactants to and along interfaces of droplets in a pipe flow and at the interfaces of liquid-infused surfaces undergoing shear-driven drainage. Imaging surfactant adsorption to interfaces at these time scales will allow for the development of improved dispersant systems for applications such as oil spill remediation and can also be used in understanding other fundamental transport phenomena involving dispersants.
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U2 - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01740
DO - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01740
M3 - Article
C2 - 30075072
AN - SCOPUS:85052295694
SN - 0743-7463
VL - 34
SP - 10512
EP - 10522
JO - Langmuir
JF - Langmuir
IS - 36
ER -