Boundary lubrication performance of polyelectrolyte–surfactant complexes on biomimetic surfaces
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and surfactants are useful in many industrial applications, such as shampoos and hair conditioners. In this work, we investigate the friction between biomimetic hair surfaces in the presence of adsorbed complexes formed from cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic surfactants in an aqueous solution. We apply nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations using the coarse-grained MARTINI model. We first developed new MARTINI parameters for cationic guar gum (CGG), a functionalized, plant-derived polysaccharide. The complexation of CGG and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on virgin and chemically damaged biomimetic hair surfaces was studied using a sequential adsorption approach. We then carried out squeeze-out and sliding NEMD simulations to assess the boundary lubrication performance of the CGG–SDS complex compressed between two hair surfaces. At low pressure, we observe a synergistic friction behavior for the CGG–SDS complex, which gives lower shear stress than either pure CGG or SDS. Here, friction is dominated by viscous dissipation in an interfacial layer comprising SDS and water. At higher pressures, which are probably beyond those usually experienced during hair manipulation, SDS and water are squeezed out, and friction increases due to interdigitation. The outcomes of this work are expected to be beneficial to fine-tune and screen sustainable hair care formulations to provide low friction and therefore a smooth feel and reduced entanglement.
Date Issued
2024-04-16
Date Acceptance
2024-03-20
Citation
Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 2024, 40 (15), pp.7933-7946
ISSN
0743-7463
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
7933
End Page
7946
Journal / Book Title
Langmuir: the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Volume
40
Issue
15
Copyright Statement
© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under
CC-BY 4.0.
CC-BY 4.0.
License URL
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03737
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2024-04-04