Adsorption of surfactants and proteins at the interface between their aqueous solution drop and air saturated by hexane vapour

Abstract

The adsorption of proteins (β-lactoglobulin, β-casein) and the oxyethylated non-ionic surfactants C10EO8 and C14EO8 at the aqueous solution/air interface is strongly enhanced and accelerated by the presence of hexane vapour in the air phase caused by the co-adsorption of hexane molecules. Due to this hexane co-adsorption, the dependence of dilational visco-elasticity modulus on surface pressure is shifted towards larger surface pressure values. The adsorption kinetics of the studied non-ionic surfactants shows the same picture as that observed for the two proteins. In contrast, the desorption process of the hexane molecules from a pre-adsorbed mixed adsorption layer is very slow. This decelerated desorption is explained by a rather large desorption energy required by the hexane molecules. The experimental data are compared with several theoretical models developed earlier. The results allow estimating the activation energy for the hexane desorption from adsorption layers of the two studied non-ionic surfactants.