Adsorption properties of plant based bio-surfactants: Insights from neutron scattering techniques

There is an increasing interest in biosustainable surfactants and surface active proteins for a range of applications, in home and personal care products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food and drink formulations. This review focuses on two plant derived biosurfactants, the surface active glycoside, saponin, and the surface active globular protein, hydrophobin. A particular emphasis in the review is on the role of neutron reflectivity in probing the adsorption, structure of the adsorbed layer, and their mixing at the interface with a range of more conventional surfactants and proteins.