Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026

09:34
Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
Published on: April 21, 2017
A facile surfactant critical micelle concentration determination
Lifeng Cai1, Miriam Gochin, Keliang Liu
1Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Taiping Rd., Haidian District, Beijing 100850, China. caileefeng@gmail.com
Summary
Surface tension variations in microplate wells alter spectroscopic signals. This study quantifies these changes to determine the surfactant critical micelle concentration (CMC) easily.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
- Biophysics
Background:
- Spectroscopic measurements in microplate readers can be affected by liquid surface curvature.
- Variations in surface tension directly influence this curvature, leading to signal changes.
- Accurate determination of critical micelle concentration (CMC) is crucial in various scientific fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of liquid surface curvature on spectroscopic signals in microplate assays.
- To develop a straightforward method for determining surfactant critical micelle concentration (CMC) using these signal variations.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a plate reader with a vertical detecting light beam for spectroscopic measurements.
- Quantifying the signal changes caused by liquid surface curvature variations.
- Correlating signal changes with different surfactant concentrations to determine CMC.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a significant correlation between liquid surface tension, surface curvature, and spectroscopic signal intensity.
- Successfully quantified the signal variations attributable to surface curvature.
- Validated a novel, facile method for critical micelle concentration determination.
Conclusions:
- Liquid surface curvature is a critical factor influencing spectroscopic measurements in microplate formats.
- The developed method offers a simple and effective approach for surfactant CMC determination.
- This technique has potential applications in formulation science, environmental monitoring, and biochemical assays.
Related Concept Videos
Micelles
Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Surface Active Agents
Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
Detergent Purification of Membrane Proteins
Detergents are used to purify the integral proteins of the membrane. The hydrophobic portion of the detergent can replace membrane phospholipids while solubilizing the membrane proteins. When detergent monomers reach a specific concentration in a solution called critical micelle concentration (CMC), they form micelles. Above CMC, the concentration of the detergent monomers remains in equilibrium with the micelle. The number of detergent monomers present in the CMC varies for each detergent, and...

