The Development Value Of Surfactants

​Surfactants are a class of organic compounds with special structures, with a long history and a wide variety. The molecular structure of traditional surfactants contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts, so they have the ability to reduce the surface tension of water - and this is the origin of their name. 

In the subject classification, surfactants belong to the research category of colloid and interface chemistry under physical chemistry; at the same time, they are inextricably linked to other subjects. For example: surfactants can spontaneously form highly ordered supramolecular structures in solution, which runs counter to the law of entropy increase in thermodynamics; various self-assembled structures are just within the research scope of nanoscience and can be used as templates for synthesizing other nanomaterials; vesicles in self-assembled structures are similar to the structure of cell membranes and can be used as carriers for drug delivery, etc.

These characteristics make the research on surfactants in the ascendant and ever-lasting; and the development of the chemical industry and the improvement of organic synthesis technology have promoted the continuous innovation of surfactants. Therefore, it can be said that surfactant science is an ancient and young subject, and it still brings us surprises today.