surfactant
Sign in to savethumb|Schematic diagram of a [[micelle of oil in aqueous suspension, such as might occur in an emulsion of oil in water. In this example, the surfactant molecules' oil-soluble tails project into the oil (blue), while the water-soluble ends remain in contact with the water phase (red).]]
AI overview
A surfactant is a molecule with one end that dissolves in water and another end that dissolves in oil, allowing it to bridge these two normally separate substances. This property makes surfactants useful for mixing oil and water together in products like soaps, detergents, and emulsions.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
216,882 papers- Pulmonary Surfactant: A Mighty Thin Film.Chemical reviews · 2023
- Neonatal surfactant therapy beyond respiratory distress syndrome.Seminars in fetal & neonatal medicine · 2023
- Timing of surfactant treatment in respiratory distress syndrome.Seminars in fetal & neonatal medicine · 2023
- Surfactant as a drug carrier.Seminars in fetal & neonatal medicine · 2023
- Surfactant delivery strategies to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Seminars in perinatology · 2023
via PubMed
Article
45 sectionsContents
- Classification
- Classification according to charge / polarity
- Anionic: sulfate, sulfonate, and phosphate, carboxylate derivatives
- Cationic head groups
- Zwitterionic surfactants
- Non-ionic
- Ethoxylates
- Fatty alcohol ethoxylates
- Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs or APEOs)
- Fatty acid ethoxylates
- Special ethoxylated fatty esters and oils
- Ethoxylated amines and/or fatty acid amides
- Fatty acid esters of polyhydroxy compounds
- Fatty acid esters of glycerol
- Fatty acid esters of sorbitol
- Fatty acid esters of sucrose
- Alkyl polyglucosides
- Classification according to chemical structure
- Classification according to properties / application
- Composition and structure
- Structure of surfactant phases in water
- Dynamics of surfactants at interfaces
- Characterization of interfaces and surfactant layers
- Applications
- Food industry
- Personal care and homecare
- Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
- Plant protection products
- Medicine
- Biochemistry
- Technology
- Antistatic agents
- Textile finishing
- Cooling lubricants
- Printer ink
- Paper recycling
- Oil and mining industry
- Fire fighting
- Surfactants in droplet-based microfluidics
- Human body and nature
- Safety and environmental risks
- Biodegradation
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Schematic diagram of a [[micelle of oil in aqueous suspension, such as might occur in an emulsion of oil in water. In this example, the surfactant molecules' oil-soluble tails project into the oil (blue), while the water-soluble ends remain in contact with the water phase (red).]]
A surfactant is a chemical compound that decreases the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word surfactant is a blend of "surface-active agent", coined in 1950. As they consist of a water-repellent and a water-attracting part, they are emulsifiers, enabling water and oil to mix. They can also form foam, and facilitate the detachment of dirt.