Polymer/surfactant interactions and nanostructures: current development for cleansing, release, and deposition of...

Nature exhibits a variety of remarkable phenomena that are useful but difficult to be imitated in real life. Examples are a "touch me not" plant folding up upon being attacked or microbes depositing on ocean vessels even under hostile conditions. Understanding of mechanisms governing these phenomena can prove powerful for developing new classes of cosmetic products. Systems based on polymer/surfactant colloid chemistry are being developed for achieving transport and release of cosmetic and pharmaceutical molecules at desired rates and desired sites. Modifications of the surfactants and polymers provide cleansing properties such as scavenging of odor and sebaceous body excretions and controlled delivery and deposition of sensory/hygienic attributes. New surfactants (sugar based and bio surfactants), hybrid polymers (silicone based and hydrophobically modified) and nanogels have been recently synthesized which may have applications in fields of cosmetics/fragrances/drugs etc. Due to the associative nature of the hydrophobic groups, hybrid polymers can form intramolecular nanodomains at all concentrations of the polymer and inter-molecular aggregates at high concentrations. New hybrid polymers and nano-gel particles can be developed with ability to extract and deliver actives by varying such properties as swelling/shrinking capacity and sensitivity to temperature, shear and dilution. Control of such properties as size, shape and cross linking of nanohybrid particles offer maximum opportunity for producing families of nanovehicles in personal and homecare industry. This review article provides an insight into current developments in field of nano-surfactant science, comprising discussions on nanogel particles, hybrid polymer and liposomes.