Invention:
This invention is a spectroscopy method to measure and observe solutions such as aggregates for the purpose of characterizing glycolipid surfactants.
Background:
Surfactants are known compounds that lower surface tension between two liquids, or a liquid and a solid, with application in detergents, wetting agents, foams, etc. Most industrial surfactants available are ionic and come from sulphate and phosphate salts, however glycolipids are a natural type of surfactant composed of hydrophilic carbohydrates and lipophilic tail. This invention uses diffusion-order spectroscopy (DOSY) to observe diffusion of surfactant molecules, creating an efficient method to measure glycolipid micro emulsions and nanoparticles.
Applications:
Advantages:
- Characterizes surfactant and aggregate solutions
- Surfactant properties: critical micelle concentration, particle radius and aggregation number
- Multi-component microcellular solutions
Status: issued U.S. patent #11,504,325
