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Tuning Surface/Interfacial Properties of Ferrocene-Containing One-Head-Two-Tail Surfactant by a Redox Reaction
Runyu Xu1, Tiantian Yu1, Hui Yan2
1Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical & Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, No. 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, P.R. China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 6, 2025
Summary
A novel ferrocene-based surfactant (FcAC3NCn) exhibits redox-controllable properties, switching structures for tunable surface activity. This smart surfactant shows enhanced wetting, emulsification, and antimicrobial action, with potential applications in responsive materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Designing stimuli-responsive surfactants is crucial for advanced applications.
- Ferrocene-based surfactants offer unique redox-tunable properties.
- Understanding structure-activity relationships is key for optimizing surfactant performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel cationic ferrocene-based surfactant (FcAC3NCn) with an amide functional group.
- To investigate the redox-switchable behavior and its impact on surface/interfacial properties.
- To evaluate the surfactant's wetting, foaming, emulsification, and antibacterial activities.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of FcAC3NCn surfactant.
- Surface tension measurements.
- Critical micelle concentration (cmc) determination.
- Contact angle measurements on PTFE surfaces.
- Emulsion formation and stability tests.
- Antibacterial assays against S. aureus and E. coli.
Main Results:
- FcAC3NCn exhibits reversible structural switching (one-head-two-tail to two-head-one-tail) upon oxidation/reduction, enabling redox-controllable properties.
- The reduced form (FcAC3NCn) shows enhanced hydrophobicity, lower cmc and surface tension, better wetting, superior foaming/emulsification, and increased antimicrobial activity compared to the oxidized form (FcAC3NCn-Ox).
- Increasing hydrophobic chain length generally decreased performance metrics like wettability and antimicrobial activity.
- FcAC3NC10 demonstrated significant wettability improvement and stable emulsion formation with reversible on/off switching.
- Effective antimicrobial activity was observed against S. aureus and E. coli.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized FcAC3NCn surfactant displays tunable properties through redox stimuli, offering a promising platform for smart materials.
- Its performance is sensitive to hydrophobic chain length, allowing for tailored applications.
- The study provides valuable insights for designing advanced ferrocene-based surfactants with potential in diverse fields, including responsive systems and antimicrobial agents.
