Cosmetic formulations for hair are mixtures of cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic surfactants. Adsorption of either the pure polyelectrolyte or the polyelectrolyte-surfactant associative mixture on the hydrophobic keratin surface restores or improves the tribological properties of hair.  Modelling of such multicomponent mixtures is a challenging topic. This talk will focus on the effects of the chain architecture of polymers and surfactants on the co-operative adsorption of these component on both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces using self-consistent field theory of Scheutjens and Fleer. We discuss adsorption scenarios originating either from pure electrostatics or other interactions between the segments of surfactants and/or polymers with the surfaces.  We show that by tuning the position of hydrophobic and hydrophilic fragments on the monomer level, e.g. by  inclusion of short hydrophilic side chains attached to the hydrophobic backbone of the polymer or insertion of short polyoxyethylene sequences the adhesive and tribological properties can be tailored.

Effects of chain architecture on the co-assembly of polymers and surfactants in bulk and at interfaces

247th National Meeting (2014)

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