Hydrophobin : fluorosurfactant-like properties without fluorine

R. Milani, E. Monogioudi, M. Baldrighi, G. Cavallo, V. Arima, L. Marra, A. Zizzari, R. Rinaldi, M. Linder, G. Resnati, P. Metrangolo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The stabilization of fluorous oil droplets in aqueous environment is a critical issue in the preparation of emulsified systems for biomedical applications and in emulsion polymerization technology, due to the extreme immiscibility of aqueous and fluorous phases. We present here a detailed study on the behavior of the hydrophobin HFBI, i.e. a small natural protein endowed with exceptional surface activity, at the interface between aqueous and fluorous phases. HFBI behaves as an efficient and sustainable surfactant at remarkably low concentrations and forms a strong and elastic film at the interface between the two phases. We also show proof-of-concept experiments on the use of HFBI as a surfactant in fluorous oil/water emulsified systems and in microfluidic circuits.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6505-6514
Number of pages10
JournalSoft Matter
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

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