Luigi Gentile - CAmBio

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

WebSite of the project: https://sites.google.com/view/cambio-biosurfactants/home

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

Bicelle-Bicelle lamellar stacking of a fatty alcohol and a C8–10 alkyl PolyGlycoside surfactantBio-based surfactants, such as alkyl polyglucosides (APG), exhibit non-classical surfactant behavior due to their sugar-based hydrophilic head groups.…

Enhancing Oil-Uptake Efficiency with an Alkyl Polyglycoside–Dodecanol FormulationThis study provides valuable insights into biosurfactant systems, shedding light on their behavior and potential applications in cleaning and oil recovery processes. By combining the alkyl polyglycoside Triton® CG-110 with C12OH fatty alcohol, a promising strategy emerges, enhancing the efficiency of surfactant-based formulations. This innovative approach paves the way for sustainable solutions in diverse industrial applications. A rheological analysis of the formulations containing C12OH demonstrated a Newtonian-like behavior of up to 3.2 v/v% of Triton, while a viscoelastic response was observed in a system containing 6.4 v/v% of Triton. Self-diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance revealed the formation of larger aggregates with C12OH, diverging from the classical spherical micellar solution. Moreover, cleaning efficiency tests highlighted C12OH’s significant enhancement of the surfactant system’s oil-uptake capacity. This study identified the optimum formulation point, corresponding to the Winsor III microemulsion phase, in samples containing C12OH. This pivotal discovery showcases the potential of tailored surfactant blends, indicating a path toward greener and more effective industrial practices.

Enhanced benzothiazole removal from textiles with a polyglycoside/dodecanol formulation: Mechanisms of self-assembly and oil-uptake capacityThe design of surfactant formulations with tailored structural properties presents a promising approach for applications in drug delivery, oil absorpt…

Salt‐Induced Modulation of Self‐Assembly in C8‐10 AlkylPolyGlucoside/Fatty Alcohol FormulationsSalt's effect on the APG:1-Dodecanol system was studied. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed salt increased interparticle correlation, leading to higher structural organization at higher salt concent...

Morphological Influence on a Nonionic Bilayer Bending Rigidity and Compression ModulusThe mechanical properties of multilamellar vesicles and their relevance to soft matter physics and material science are of significant interest. The bending rigidity, κ, and compression modulus, B, of three-dimensional (3D) finite nonspontaneous multilamellar vesicles, formed by a nonionic surfactant, are linked to nanoscale bilayer thickness, δ, estimated via small-angle X-ray scattering, and macroscopic elastic modulus measured through small-amplitude oscillatory shear experiments. κ and B significantly differ from the same system in the two-dimensional (2D) infinite nanostructured planar lamellar phase. Particularly, κ3D was found to be much smaller than κ2D, while an opposite behavior was seen for B. The 2D-to-3D morphology transition occurs under a transient mechanical field, resulting in rheopectic behavior. κ scales quadratically with δ, consistent with bilayer membrane theories, and linearly with vesicle radius in the densely packed state. These findings have implications for understanding and designing soft interfaces due to the influence of bending rigidity on transport properties.

Talks

Gentile L., "Non-Conventional Intercalation of a Fatty Alcohol into Bilayers of an Alkyl Polyglucoside" ECIS2025 39th European Colloids and Interface Society (ECIS) Conference - September 7-12, 2025 - Bristol (UK)

Poster

Gentile L., "Exploration and Analysis of Surfactant‐Fatty Alcohol Formulations" 6th Italian Soft Days Conference - July 4-5, 2024 - Florence (Italy)

Poster

Gentile L., "Formulations of Bio‐based Surfactants with Fatty Alcohol and their Characterization" 3rd INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL ON SCIENCE-BASED FORMULATION- July 1-3, 2024 - Florence (Italy)

Poster

Gentile L., "Fatty Alcohol-Surfactant Interactions: Unveiling Structural Impacts and Formulation Consequences" ECIS2024 38th Conference of the European Colloid & Interface Society- September 1-6, 2024 - Copenhagen (Denmark)

Shear and cooling effects on lamellar gel network structure: Insights from Rheo-SANSWe investigate the formation of lamellar gel networks (LGNs) composed of long-chain fatty alcohols (C16, C18) and their mixture, combined with the sur…