<br/><br/><br/>Formulations typically contain both polymers and low molecular weight amphiphiles, i. e. surfactants or lipids. Depending on polymer charge and polarity, intermolecular interactions, and, consequently, macroscopic properties are very different. Here we review on the basis of the fundamentals of interactions phenomena and applications of mixed systems of surfactants and polysaccharides. The latter may be anionic (alginate, carboxymethylcellulose…), cationic (chitosan, cationic hydroxyethylcellulose…) or nonionic (cellulose ethers…). For ionic polysaccharides, electrostatic interactions dominate the behavior and depending on the situation associative or segregative phase behavior may occur. For nonionic polysaccharides temperature dependent hydrophobic interactions dominate the phase behavior and other properties. In general there is a delicate balance between different interactions. Water-soluble polymers, which have hydrophobic groups, form physical cross-links, hence their important use as thickeners. The rheological behavior is strongly influenced by surfactants and both a decrease and an increase in viscosity can occur. For oppositely charged systems where the polysaccharide-surfactant interactions are particularly strong, an associative phase separation can occur. A similar behavior is shown for mixtures of two oppositely charge polysaccharides. This association is the basis for thickening formulations, for polysaccharide deposition on surfaces and different ways of producing particles in the nano- to micron size range. Furthermore, the behavior of these mixed systems on surfaces is discussed. In particular, we consider the adsorption of mixtures of ionic polymers and oppositely charged surfactants on polar and nonpolar surfaces. Depending on concentration, an ionic surfactant can either induce additional polyion adsorption or induce desorption. Kinetic control of adsorption and, in particular, desorption is typical. Important consequences of this include an increased adsorption on rinsing and path dependent adsorbed layers.

Polysaccharide-surfactant association—basics and applications

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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