Biological Applications of Surfactants

Biological Applications of Isothermal Titration Calorimetry

     Most of the biological phenomena are influenced by intermolecular recognition and interaction. Thus, understanding the thermodynamics of biomacromolecule ligand interaction is a very interesting area in biochemistry and biotechnology. One of the most powerful techniques to obtain precise information about the energetics of (bio) molecules binding to other biological macromolecules is isoth...

Expanding Applications for Viscoelastic Surfactants

Allan Twynam BP Sunbury, England For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Curtis Boney, Ernie Brown, Steve Davies and George Hawkins, Sugar Land, Texas, USA; Jorge Gonzalez and Arthur Milne, Caracas, Venezuela; Satyaki Ray, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and David Schoderbek, Burlington Resources Canada, Calgary. ClearFRAC, ClearPAC, CoalFRAC, FMI (Fullbore Formation MicroImager), FracCADE...

Saponin-Based, Biological-Active Surfactants from Plants

Plants have the ability to synthesize almost unlimited number of substances. In many cases, these chemicals serve in plant defense mechanisms against microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Generally, any part of the plant may contain the various active ingredients. Among the plant, active compounds are saponins, which are traditionally used as natural detergents. The name ‘saponin’ comes from...

Soybean-based Surfactants and Their Applications

The soybean is a legume that contains no cholesterol and is low in saturated fat. Soybeans have been consumed as a major source of protein by people in Asia for centuries, while their consumption in the West only spans several decades. The soybean is the only vegetable food that contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also a good source of fibre, iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamins. In 20...

Higher Oligomeric Surfactants — From Fundamentals to Applications