We are proud to announce the publication by two of our doctoral candidates, Philomène Le Bastart de Villeneuve (DC6) and Florian Trummer (DC5), our industrial partner at Evonik Jochen Kleinen, and Philomène’s supervisor Cosima Stubenrauch.
This article entitled « Simultaneous self-assembly of the biosurfactant di-rhamnolipid and a low molecular weight gelator » is published in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science and is available here. You can also find it in the Publications & Outcomes section.
Abstract: Gelled lyotropic liquid crystals (G-LLCs) and gelled micellar solutions (G-MS) are promising soft materials for biomedical applications, combining mechanical stability with functional nanostructures capable of encapsulation and delivery. In such systems, the interactions between the gel network and the self-assembled surfactant structures significantly influence their properties. We investigated the simultaneous self-assembly of the biosurfactant di-rhamnolipid (Rha2C10C10) and the low molecular weight gelator 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12-HOA). We showed the dual role of 12-HOA as both gelator and co-surfactant at two different pH-values. Rheological measurements confirmed successful gelation, with enhanced elastic properties observed in both isotropic and liquid crystalline phases. SAXS and FFEM analyses reveal the coexistence of the gel network and the respective surfactant structure (LLCs or micelles). Furthermore, pH-dependent variations in fibre morphology suggest interactions between protonated rhamnolipid molecules and growing gel fibres, leading to structural defects and altered chirality. These findings highlight the complex interplay between surfactant self-assembly and gelation, providing design principles for tunable hybrid soft materials.
Ce détail sur l’influence des liaisons dans le polymorphisme est fascinant —
La mention des phases cristaux liquides du di-rhamnolipide m’a tout de suite rappelé les défis de stabilité rencontrés dans les formulations biosourcées. Associer ce tensioactif à un gélifiant de faible masse molaire ouvre des pistes intéressantes pour contrôler la texture sans recourir aux polymères synthétiques.
Très bon article ! C’est toujours un plaisir de trouver du contenu de qualité comme celui-ci. Bravo pour ce travail approfondi !
Très bon article ! C’est toujours un plaisir de trouver du contenu de qualité comme celui-ci. Bravo pour ce travail approfondi !
Merci pour cet article si bien rédigé ! Les informations sont présentées de manière très accessible. Je reviendrai sur ce blog avec plaisir.