Commercial Surfactants Research Articles

Design of salinity tolerant in alkaline surfactant systems for high salinity reservoirs

Chemical oil recovery from offshore reservoirs which are usually characterised by harsh conditions such as high salinities have remained a source of concern. This study assesses chemical compatibilities of alkalis –surfactant systems under high salinity and divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+). It analysed the synergy between alkali-surfactant slugs and crude oil, leading to the design of an optimal low-cost alkaline- surfactant flooding. Three alkali systems: sodium hydroxide, sodium metaborate and ethylene-diamine-tetracetic acid-(EDTA/NaOH) were evaluated with two high salinity synthetic brines; one without divalent ions (soft brine) and the other containing divalent ions (hard brine). Compatibility of these alkali systems with the commercial-grade surfactant was evaluated based on fluid-fluid interaction. Phase behaviour experiments were conducted to determine the alkali–surfactant compatibility with brine. Solutions free of precipitation were used for the interfacial-tension (IFT) and phase separation analysis, obtained level readings were used to calculate optimal salinity. Results showed that all alkali systems were compatible with soft brine, while compatibility with hard brine was highly controlled by the pH. Alkali-crude oil failed to produce Type III micro-emulsion; however, the addition of surfactant achieved an ultra-low IFT. EDTA/NaOH effectively sequestered the divalent ions like sodium metaborate hence increasing the solubilisation of surfactant at higher salinity. Comparison of both alkalis with commercial surfactant, alcohol alkoxy sulphate at controlled pH exhibited a higher optimum salinity for EDTA/NaOH than for sodium metaborate. This study shows that at pH ≥ 11 and an increased salinity above optimal salinity, chemical precipitation occurs resulting in reduced oil recovery.

A win-win scenario for antibacterial activity and skin mildness of cationic surfactants based on the modulation of host-guest supramolecular conformation

The commercial cationic surfactants (CSAa) with quaternary ammonium (QA) groups have proved to be broad-spectrum bactericide against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Nevertheless, they inevitably exhibit potent irritation on the skin. In this work, we systematically investigated the regulatory mechanism of the host-guest supramolecular conformation with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) on the bactericidal performance and skin irritation of CSAa with different head groups and chain lengths. When the ratio of incorporated β-CD is not greater than 1:1, the bactericidal efficiency of CSAa@β-CD (n > 12) remained above 90 % due to the free QA groups and hydrophobic fraction that can act on negatively charged bacterial membranes. And once the ratio of β-CD exceeded 1:1, the β-CD attracted to the bacterial surface by hydrogen bonding might prevent CSAa@β-CD from acting on bacteria, resulting in a decrement in antibacterial performance. Even so, the antibacterial activity of CSAa with long alkyl chains (n = 16, 18) was independent from the complexation of β-CD. Accordingly, both the zein solubilization assay and the neutrophil migration assay on zebrafish skin evidenced that β-CD attenuated the interaction of surfactant with skin model proteins and the inflammatory effect on zebrafish, thereby enhancing skin mildness. In this way, we hope to create a simple but effective brainpower using the host-guest approach to guarantee both bactericidal efficiency and skin mildness without modifying the chemical structure of these commercial biocides.

Mixed Micelle Properties of Anionic Dimeric Surfactants with Anionic, Cationic, and Nonionic Surfactants

Herein, we have investigated the mixed micellar behavior of carboxylate anionic dimeric surfactants (CAD12 and CAD16) with commercial surfactants; anionic type i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate, cationic i.e., cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and nonionic i.e., polyethylene glycol p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)-phenyl ether. The CMC values of mixed surfactants obtained from conductivity data decrease with a mole fraction of dimeric surfactants. The micellar characteristics (ideal CMC) and mutual interaction parameters (β) have been computed with the aid of theoretical models proposed by Clint, and Rubingh. In addition to this, thermodynamic parameters of micellization like 0 ΔG0mic, ΔH0mic, and ΔS0mic were evaluated and discussed.

Effectiveness of the hydrophobic core of pyridine tethered N-acyl glycine micelles in improving chromenoquinoline synthesis in water

The organic transformations in water are considered a safe, non-toxic, economical, and eco-friendly alternative. A new series of amphiphile, N-acyl-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)glycine (PyNAG) with variable hydrophobicity was successfully synthesized from glycine. The self-assembly properties were characterized by critical micellar concentration (CMC), aggregation number (Nagg), and diameter (DH). The PyNAG with N- stearoyl moiety showed lower CMC, higher Nagg, and larger DH compared to PyNAG with N- lauryl moiety. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals that the micelle structure is compact and non-bonded energy contribution arises from electrostatic, and van der Walls forces contribute to perfect packing and micelle formation. The ability of the PyNAG micelles to execute important organic transformations in water was demonstrated through synthesizing chromenoquinoline via the Povarov reaction. Micelles with varying diameters were used to conduct the Povarov reaction in order to better understand the functions of the hydrophobicity core of the micellar environment in organic reactions. The results reveal that the Povarov reaction produces a good yield in N-stearoyl-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)glycine (PyN18G) micelles, better than organic solvent and commercial surfactant. Moreover, a linear correlation between the yield and the hydrophobicity of the PyNAG was observed. The findings demonstrate that the micellar interior significantly affects the reactivity of the substrate, which should be taken into consideration while creating new media for metal-catalyzed green synthesis.

Surface and thermodynamics properties of commercial fatty-alcohol ethoxylate surfactants

The present study provides the surface and thermodynamic properties data of commercial fatty-alcohol ethoxylate surfactants (FAEs) at different temperatures (25–60 °C). These compounds are a mixture of fatty-alcohol ethoxylate oligomers with different degree of ethoxylation (2.6–11) and length of the alkyl chain (C10-C18). In this work, we analyzed determinate the water content by the Karl-Fisher method and measured the surface tension using the Wilhelmy plate method. In addition, we studied the effect of their structural parameters (degree of ethoxylation and length of alkyl chain) and the temperature on the changes of the thermodynamic functions (Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy) for the processes of adsorption and micellization. It was found an exponential decrease of the critical micellar concentration (CMC) in molar scale with the length alkyl chain of the fatty-alcohol ethoxylate surfactants, and the CMC values and thermodynamic parameters agree with those values found in literature for pure compounds. Moreover, the micellization entropy increases with the degree of ethoxylation of the surfactant.

A methodology for measuring the characteristic curvature of technical-grade ethoxylated nonionic surfactants: the effects of concentration and dilution

Abstract Characterization of the behaviour of commercially available non-ionic surfactants has received considerable attention due to their efficacy in a variety of applications. The main challenge in the application of these types of surfactants is that the hydrophilicity of the surfactant varies with concentration and dilution due to the polydispersity of the ethylene oxide groups. The hydrophilicity of a surfactant can be quantified by the characteristic curvature (Cc) parameter of the hydrophilic–lipophilic difference (HLD) framework. In this work, a model based on natural logarithmic regression was developed to calculate the Cc value of commercial surfactants as a function of surfactant concentration by a fast and simple phase scan. The slope of the Cc curve and the measured Cc at a reference concentration were used to develop the model. The Cc values determined with the model agreed with the measured values from the phase scans. Furthermore, the linear mixing rule proved to be reliable for mixtures of polydisperse ethoxylated surfactants. Finally, the impact of the water-to-oil ratio on the Cc was evaluated and the implications were discussed.

Red beet plant as a novel source of natural surfactant combined with ‘Smart Water’ for EOR purposes in carbonate reservoirs

The use of natural green surfactants has become one of the most popular techniques for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) because these types of surfactants are environmentally-friendly, efficient, sustainable, and less expensive than commercial surfactants. In the current study, the extraction of natural surfactant from the Red Beet (RB) plant is introduced for EOR applications in carbonate reservoirs. Characterization analyses using TGA, FT-IR, 1H NMR, and FESEM were carried out to assess the nature of the extracted saponin as the surfactant agent. The physicochemical characterization points to a nonionic surfactant. The role of salinity, with varying NaCl concentrations, in ‘smart water’ flooding using the RB surfactant was then investigated. According to the measured interfacial tension (IFT), the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the extracted surfactant from the RB plant was 2500 ppm, and the IFT value at the CMC point was 9.92mN/m for deionized water. The parametric flooding study revealed that the RB surfactant injection as the source of the green surfactant (at its CMC value with 15,000 ppm NaCl as the optimum salinity) contributed, as the tertiary recovery, to an extra 26.29 % of the original oil in place (OOIP) because of a considerable decrease in contact angle from 151.4° to 42.14° and a decline in IFT values from 33.87 to 9.27 mN/m.

Rheological demonstration of micellization changes of internal olefin sulfonate and alcohol alkoxy sulfate commercial surfactants upon interactions with inorganic salts

The Enhanced Oil Recovery by Chemical methods (CEOR) is carried out through the injection of polymer and/or surfactant solutions. The polymer allows for the increase of the viscosity of the injected water, while the surfactant decreases the interfacial tension between water and crude-oil under reservoir conditions. However, the salinity of the oilfield water sources significantly reduces the ability of synthetic polymer to increase the viscosity and viscoelasticity of the water. Consequently, their use is limited, especially in those oilfields presenting high ionic strength brines. The rheological behavior of surfactant solutions could be considerably enhanced if formed micellar aggregates are in a sufficient number, adequate size, and the interactions among them are sufficiently strong. In this work, the effect of some inorganic salts on the rheological behavior of surfactant solutions in the absence of polymer molecules is studied. To our knowledge, this is the first time commonly anionic surfactants used in CEOR are tested using several cation valences inorganic salts. Results show a trend to increase or induce a shear-thinning behavior of sufficiently concentrated solutions. Solutions exhibiting higher viscosities profiles may display viscoelastic properties that resemble (or even overcome) those of polymeric solutions with similar viscosity profiles. This can be a very promising technique for oil recovery in the absence of traditional polymer molecules under high salinity conditions.

Reduction of algal wall-growth biofilm for the cultivation of Chlorococcum in photobioreactors using commercial surfactants and floating plastic media

During the cultivation of Chlorococcum humicola in photobioreactors (PBRs), significant biofilm formation occurred, leading to light limitation and lower productivity. This work presents the possibility of using commercial surfactants to reduce wall-growth biofilm in PBRs. Results confirm that sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 0.0082 mM can successfully control wall-growth biofilm in the cultivation of C. humicola more than CTAB and Triton X-100. The addition of SDS into 2-L PBRs, built from either acrylic or glass, results in 68–158 % and 28–43 % increases in algal biomass concentrations compared to those without SDS addition. PBRs applying with SDS at the start of the cultivation can be operated for 23 days without stopping aeration to remove biofilm. Both SDS and floating plastic media were effective in algal biofilm control when applying in 60-L PBRs. The addition of SDS is seen to offer a practical solution to reduce algal biofilm on both glass and acrylic surfaces and promote higher biomass concentration during the cultivation.

Modelling the partitioning equilibria of nonionic surfactant mixtures within the HLD framework

Commercial non-ionic surfactants are usually blends of species differing in the degree of ethoxylation, characterised by a distribution of surfactants with different affinity for the oil and the aqueous phases. This leads to an unexpected concentration dependence of the phase behaviour and the rationalization of such deviations is necessary for their exploitation in surfactant-based formulations. In this work, the phase behaviour of commercial Novel® nonionic surfactants in presence of brine and oil was studied fixing equal volumes of organic and aqueous phases and changing the amount of surfactant and brine salinity (fish cut). The conditions for the balanced state (microemulsion solubilizing equals amount of water and oil) have been determined for different alkanes. The phase behaviour of the surfactant mixture was described, without a priori information about its actual chemical composition, in terms of two pseudo-components: one hydrophilic, entirely at the interface, and the other lipophilic, able to partition itself between the interface and the oil bulk according to a partition constant P. The pseudo-components effect on the interface is quantified through surfactant characteristic parameters (SCPs), according to the Hydrophilic-Lipophilic-Difference (HLD) model. SCPs and P can be experimentally determined by fitting the dependence of the balanced state on the surfactant concentration. The model is successfully applied to the tested surfactants and can quantitively predict the behaviour of their mixtures.

NMR investigation of counterion binding to undecyl LL-leucinevalanate micelles

NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the binding of cationic counterions to anionic micelles formed by undecyl LL-leucinevalaninate (und-LV). Amino acid-based surfactants like und-LV are green alternatives to commercial surfactants. Monomeric and polymeric forms of und-LV micelles have also been used as chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis (CE) separations. The counterions investigated were Na+, the tetraethylammonium ion, L-Lysine, 1,4-diaminobutane, 1,6-diaminohexane, and cis and trans isomers of 1,2-diaminocyclohexane and 1,4-diaminocyclohexane. NMR measurements of counterion and micelle diffusion coefficients were used to calculate micelle radii and the mole fraction of counterion molecules bound to the micelles. Two-dimensional NMR experiments were used to investigate the structures of the counterion: micelle complexes. The mole fraction of bound counterions did not change with pH in solutions containing Na+ or tetraethylammonium counterions. With all other counterions, however, the mole fraction of micelle-bound counterions was higher below pH 10 when counterions had a + 1 or +2 charge, and lower above pH 10–10.5 when the counterions were neutral or zwitterionic. Changes in micelle radii with pH and two-dimensional NMR experiments suggested that L-Lysine, 1,4-diaminobutane, and 1,6-diaminohexane bound parallel to the micelle surface with their amine functional groups interacting with different surfactant monomers. In contrast, the diaminocyclohexane isomers were found to bind perpendicular to the micelle surface. The mole fractions of micelle-bound cis-1,4-diaminocyclohexane and trans-1,4-diaminocyclohexane were very similar to one another. However, with 1,2-cyclohexanediamine, at low pH the mole fraction of micelle-bound counterions was larger for the cis isomer than for the trans isomer.

Removal of hazardous ions from aqueous solutions: Current methods, with a focus on green ion flotation.

Hazardous ions, like those of heavy metals, cause significant health and environmental problems when they are discharged into water resources naturally or through various industrial processes. Removing these ions from water is of significant importance in the provision of high-quality water for drinking and agricultural usage. This work discusses current techniques that are frequently used for the removal of heavy-metal ions from aqueous solutions by absorption, particularly the use of biodegradable surfactants in ion flotation. Certain new surfactants promise high efficiency in their use in the ion-flotation process and in their application in industrial-water treatment to remove heavy metals. As an example, this work demonstrates the high efficiency of surfactants based on an amino-acid (L-cysteine) in removing a range of heavy-metal ions in a simple, single-stage ion-flotation process. High foaming ability, the ability to operate in various temperatures and pHs, decomposing into natural products and high binding affinity for heavy-metal ions make the cysteine-based surfactants a highly suitable compound to replace current commercial surfactants in ion- and froth-flotation processes. Removal of particular ions can also be achieved in ion flotation; a suitable choice of parameters, such as pH and surfactant concentration, favours the surfactant binding to those ions. Further intensive work is required to develop an optimal process to recover valuable elements from waste solutions.

Clay-Sand Wettability Evaluation for Heavy Crude Oil Mobility

In this work, the effect of distilled water, a biodiesel viscosity reducer, and a commercial nonionic surfactant on the apparent permeability of clay-sand cores through the analysis of contact angle, linear swelling, and porous media fluid flow for a northern Mexico crude oil was evaluated. The results showed that the clay content influences the contact angle values having a lower wettability effect in the rocky medium. The addition of biodiesel produces a fluid movement similar to the addition of distilled water. Biodiesel-based flow enhancer not only reduces the crude oil viscosity but also improves the flowability through porous media. However, this behavior is only valid if the soil is not saturated with salty water.

Improvement in interface and mechanical properties of CF/poly(ether-imide) and CF/poly(ether-ether-ketone) by aqueous sizing of reactive cationic Poly(amide-imide) with catechol pendant groups on CF

As automotive and aviation develop fast, Carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymers (CFRTP) are increasingly welcomed. However, commercial sizings for CF, mainly epoxy, lack compatibility and thermal stability for high-performance thermoplastic composites. Current thermoplastic sizings are also inert for the CF surface. Therefore, here, poly(amide-imide) (PAI) with reactive catechol pendant groups were synthesized, which got rid of commercial surfactants in water dispersion due to the hydrophilia from ionizable quaternary ammonium salt pendant groups. Storage-stable aqueous sizing of highly soluble PAI was sized on CF, followed by preparations of CF/poly(ether-imide) (PEI) and CF/poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) composites. Mechanical properties considerably increased for the improved interface in composites contributed by the bridging of PAI sizing between CF surface and PEI, PEEK matrices. On one side, covalent bondings and intermolecular interactions were created between CF surface and PAI sizing. On the other side, π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding between PAI and PEI, PEEK was discovered. Compared to commercial-sized CF(cCF)/PEI, the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), flexural strength and impact strength of pCF/PEI increased by 56.84%, 47.24%, and 48.87% to 100.22 MPa, 820.52 MPa, and 82.32 kJ/m2, respectively.

Experimental study on the evaluation of surfactant/polymer flooding for enhancing oil recovery in Kumkol Oil Field

Chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are shown to sweep the residual oil by altering physical properties of fluids after waterflooding to improve oil recovery. This work presents an experimental study on the surfactant/polymer injection for EOR in sandstone reservoirs. Interfacial tension measurements, emulsification and rheology tests are performed to select the best candidates from thirteen commercial surfactants and five commercial polymers. The performance of the preferred surfactant and polymer candidates in EOR is evaluated through a series of core flooding experiments on both homogeneous and heterogenous sand packs. Different injection schemes are investigated. The results show that the polymer injection and polymer-surfactant-mixture slug can effectively displace the residual oil as the polymer injection improves efficiency of the sweeping front. Core flooding experiments on the heterogenous sand pack show that injecting polymer in the first, followed by surfactant slug yields the better performance compared with combined polymer-surfactant-mixture injection as the polymer pre-flush improves the vertical conformance of the surfactant solution and the final recovery.

A comprehensive study on the application of a natural plant-based surfactant as a chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) agent in the presence of different ions in carbonate reservoirs

Surfactant flooding is a promising CEOR approach in carbonate reservoirs and its efficiency has been verified. Commercial surfactants may impose various health and environmental issues. Therefore, utilizing a natural biodegradable surfactant at a low cost is a valuable option for the petroleum industry. In this research, a non-ionic surfactant derived from Acanthophyllum Plant Root Extract (APRE) was used as a bio-surfactant. The EOR potential of this surfactant was evaluated through various tests. Oil-water system interfacial tension (IFT) measurement, contact angle test for carbonate rock wettability alteration assessment, emulsion stability, compatibility, and surfactant flooding test were conducted. The effect of different ions of various salts on the IFT, carbonate rock wettability and the chemical interactions were also studied. The emulsion stability created by the surfactant was assessed through observational tests. The compatibility test (at 25 °C) showed that negligible sediment below the salinity of 50,000 ppm was formed. The IFT at CMC in formation water (optimum concentration of 12000 ppm) was reduced to 1.06 mN/m from an initial value of 2.16 mN/m. The optimum IFT value at different salinities was also determined. The wettability of the carbonate rock from a strongly oil-wet state (168°) was altered to water-wet (60.3°) in the presence of surfactant and FW with a concertation of 10,000 ppm. In the core flood test, the effect of different slug sizes and soaking time was also determined. It was observed that increasing slug size results in a lower mobility ratio and consequently higher oil recovery.

Utilization of surface-active compounds derived from biosolids to remediate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated sediment soil

In the present study, surface-active compounds (SAC) were extracted from biosolids using an alkaline treatment process. They were tested for their remediation efficiency of crude oil-contaminated sediment soil and was compared with Triton x-100. The SAC exhibited a similar soil washing efficiency to that of the commercial Triton x-100, and under the optimized soil washing parameters, SAC exhibited a maximum of 91% total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons removal. Further, on analysing the toxicity of the soil residue after washing, it was observed that SAC from biosolids washed soil exhibited an average of 1.5-fold lesser toxicity compared to that of Triton x-100 on different test models-earthworm, a monocot, and dicot plants. The analysis of the key soil parameters revealed that the commercial surfactant reduced the soil organic matter and porosity by an average of 1.3-fold compared to SAC. Further, the ability of surfactants to induce toxicity was confirmed by the adsorption of the surfactants on the surface of the soil particles which was in the order of Triton x-100 > SAC. Thus, this study suggests that SAC can be applied as an effective bioremediation approach for contaminated soil for a greener and sustainable ecosystem.

Bioconversion of lignocellulosic wastes to zwitterionic biosurfactants by an alkaliphilic bacterium: Process development and product characterization

The bioconversion of lignocellulosic wastes to value-added biosurfactants was investigated using a single flask to carry out both substrate pretreatment and biosurfactant production. Lignocellulosic wastes were added to an alkaline medium and autoclaved, which led to a combined alkaline and hydrothermal pretreatment. For biosurfactant production, alkaliphilic Brevibacterium casei NK8 was added to the medium without pH neutralization. Among several lignocellulosic wastes, the media with corn husk, coconut oil cake, and defatted rice bran gave the highest biosurfactant concentrations (1.14–1.32 g L−1). These wastes provided a relatively high concentration of soluble substrates in the pretreated liquid, while solid residues swelled. The bacterium could use the pretreated liquid and solid residues for growth and biosurfactant production. The produced biosurfactants in cell-free broth could be applied directly or after lignin removal. The residual lignin decreased biosurfactant performance in terms of surface tension, contact angle, and oil displacement; conversely, lignin enhanced the biosurfactant emulsification capacity. Cell-free broths with and without lignin were appropriate for different tasks. Biosurfactants synthesized from different lignocellulosic wastes were similar and were identified as a mixture of zwitterionic lipopeptides and phospholipids. The surface tension of the crude biosurfactant solution was extremely low, ranging between 25.9 and 27.6 mN m−1 over a wide range of pH values (1–11), salinities (2–10% NaCl), and temperatures (4–121 °C). In addition, biosurfactants as crude solution and cell-free broth with lignin showed lower phytotoxicity than the commercial surfactant Tween 80. These findings suggest a convenient method for manufacturing biosurfactants from lignocellulosic wastes.

Síntesis de surfactante no iónico, catiónico y aniónico a partir de aceite de coco, para la remediación de suelos contaminados con diésel

Nowadays, there is great concern about environmental pollution caused by human activity. The soil represents an ecosystem affected by oil activities. Surfactant soil washing is commonly used to remediate contaminated total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) soil. However, most commercial surfactants are derived from petroleum; therefore, new surfactants friendly to the environment are researched. This work synthesized types three green surfactants from coconut oil. FTIR, and 1H NMR spectroscopy indicated the proposed chemical structures. These surfactants were evaluated in the TPH remotion. The results show a more effective removal of hydrocarbons using the cationic surfactant with 99.3 %, followed by the non-ionic surfactant with 97.5 %, and the anionic surfactant, with 93.7 %. Residual diesel in the soil was characterized and quantified using Gas Chromatography-Mass (GC-MS) and UV-Vis spectroscopy, complying with the maximum permissible limits of TPH in the soil (NOM-138-SEMARNAT/SSA1-2012). The GC results show the removal of several TPHs; however, some differ based on the type of surfactant used in the wash. Soil characterization by SEM-EDS confirmed that there was no significant particle wear. Furthermore, the cationic surfactant was not adsorbed on the soil after washing.

Cellulose Nanofibers from Regenerated Cellulose fibers of Cigarette Butts and Application in Pickering Emulsion

Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have been applied in various applications due to the abundant raw materials and excellent mechanical and thermal properties. In this work, CNF from Cigarette butts (CNF-CB) was used as emulsion stabilized for oil in water emulsion. CNF was prepared from regenerated cellulose fibers that were produced by deacetylation of Cigarette butts waste using autoclave and then hydrolysis by chemical treatment using sulfuric acid. The FTIR spectra of CNF-CB showed chemically convert from Cigarette butts waste, indicating removal of the acetyl group. TEM micrographs showed nanocellulose with diameters of 8-32.30 nm. XRD analysis shows that the CNF-CB is a cellulose II allomorph with a crystallinity index of about 88.04%. Thermogravimetric analysis showed high char residue for the nanocellulose compared to raw fibers. The addition of CNF-CB with a concentration of 0.5% into the oil-in-water emulsion (O/W) showed better stability than commercial surfactant. In conclusion, this approach offers a promising strategy for upcycling cigarette butts waste to produce nanocellulose, which could be used in various applications.