Structure and flow dynamics of Concentrated AMphiphilic BIOmolecules (CAmBio): driving the change to eco-sustainable surfactant formulations

Developing eco-sustainable surfactant-based formulations is increasingly urgent, given the projected growth in their industrial production. The research project CAmBio envisions a shift from traditional formulations to innovative ones based on bio-based surfactants and biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are naturally produced by plants, yeasts, and bacteria and include a range of amphiphilic biomolecules.

CAmBio aims to enhance our fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of concentrated bio-based surfactant self-assemblies through a physicochemical approach. Among the leading biosurfactants are rhamnolipids, which are commercially available in various forms. These surfactants typically include one or two rhamnose sugars, a carboxylic group, and one or two acyl chains, presenting a complex molecular structure that makes understanding their self-aggregation behavior a challenging yet important task.

The final goal is to demonstrate that the acquired scientific knowledge fosters the applications of the investigated system, their functional properties will be tested in model formulations such as water-poor detergents, which minimize the environmental impact of packaging and transport, and contaminant absorbents for pollutant removal from wastewater.

Published works