Biodegradable Surfactants with Tunable HLB via Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The development of environmentally friendly, biodegradable surfactants with tunable hydrophilic-lipophilic balances remains challenging, particularly for personal care, home care, industrial, and food industry applications, as existing technologies struggle to produce surfactants that can be tailored for specific properties and applications.

Innovation Solution

The development of biodegradable surfactants comprising amphiphilic heteroatom-containing hydrocarbons with adjustable hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, achieved through the use of specific chemical structures and counterions, allowing for modification of the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values, and production methods involving genetic engineering of cells to express and isolate these surfactants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If biodegradable surfactants are developed with tunable hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, then adaptability to different applications is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetunable hydrophilic-lipophilic balanceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The surfactant molecule is divided into distinct hydrophilic head group and hydrophobic tail portions, allowing independent optimization of each segment. The hydrophilic head can be selected from multiple options (carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, phosphate groups) while the hydrophobic tail can be varied (different chain lengths and structures), enabling tunable HLB values without requiring complete redesign of the entire molecule.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the surfactant molecule are assigned specific properties to achieve overall functionality. The hydrophilic head group provides water solubility and ionic character, while the hydrophobic tail provides oil solubility and micelle formation capability. By adjusting the local composition and structure of each region, the overall HLB value can be precisely tuned for different applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If surfactants are designed for specific application requirements, then performance in target applications is improved, but ease of manufacture decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperformance in target applicationsVSAvoidease of manufacture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The surfactant platform provides multi-functionality by offering a range of hydrophilic head groups and hydrophobic tail combinations that can address multiple application requirements. The same general molecular architecture can be adapted for personal care products, home care products, industrial cleaners, and food industry applications by simply adjusting the specific head group and tail chain length, eliminating the need for entirely different manufacturing processes for each application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Performance characteristics are optimized by changing physical and chemical parameters such as the length of the hydrophobic tail chain, the type of hydrophilic head group, and the ionic charge. These parameter adjustments allow fine-tuning of HLB values and surfactant properties to match specific application requirements while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If environmentally friendly biodegradable surfactants are developed, then environmental compatibility is improved, but functional versatility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental compatibilityVSAvoidfunctional versatility

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The surfactant combines biodegradable components with tailored functionality. The hydrophilic head groups (carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, phosphate) and hydrophobic tails are selected from biodegradable sources and structures, while maintaining the amphiphilic architecture necessary for surfactant function. This composite approach ensures environmental compatibility through biodegradability while preserving functional versatility through adjustable HLB values and diverse head group options.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20210403421A1Biodegradable surfactants and related compositions, methods and systems

Publication Date: 2021.12.30 LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NAT SECURITY LLC

AI summary

Biodegradable surfactants are described, in which an amphiphilic heteroatom containing hydrocarbon optionally comprising at least one counterion (Z), and related compositions, methods and systems. Biodegradable surfactant described herein has an aHLB value in accordance with equation (1): aHLB=20*Gh/(Gh−Gt) (1) wherein Gh is the Group Number of a hydrophilic head portion of the biodegradable surfactant optionally comprising the at least one counterion (Z), and Gt is the Group Number of a hydrophobic tail portion of the biodegradable surfactant. A biodegradable surfactant in the sense of the disclosure can be tuned to a set hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (aHLB) by selectively modifying at least one tuning moiety of the biodegradable surfactants to provide tuned biodegradable surfactants having an increase or decrease in their adjusted hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (aHLB).