Saponins: A sustainable surfactant. From its microwave-assisted extraction to the synthesis of monodisperse latices

Published

January 21, 2014

Author(s)

Charlene Schnitt, Bruno Grassl, Julien C. Gigault, Vincent A. Hackley, Gaetane Lespes, Jacques Desbrieres, Virginie Pellerin, Stephanie Reynaud

Abstract

Synthetic surfactants are widely used in emulsion polymerization, but it is increasingly desirable to replace them with naturally derived molecules with a reduced environmental burden. This study demonstrates the use of saponins as sustainable and renewable surfactants for emulsion polymerization. This sustainable chemical has been extracted from soapnuts by microwave assisted extraction and characterized in terms of surfactant properties prior to emulsion polymerization. The results in terms of particle size distribution and morphology control have been compared to those obtained with classical nonionic (NP40) or anionic (SDS) industrial surfactants. Microwave extracted saponins were able to lead to latexes as stable as standard PS latex as showed by the CMC and CCC measurements. The saponins stabilized PS particles have been characterized in terms of particle size and distribution by Dynamic Light Scattering and Asymmetrical Flow Field Flow Fractionation. Monomodal and monodispersed particles ranging from 250 to 480nm in terms of diameter with a particle size distribution below 1.03 have been synthesized.

Citation

Biomacromolecules

Volume

15

Pub Type

Journals

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DOI Link

Citation

Schnitt, C. , Grassl, B. , Gigault, J. , Hackley, V. , Lespes, G. , Desbrieres, J. , Pellerin, V. and Reynaud, S. (2014), Saponins: A sustainable surfactant. From its microwave-assisted extraction to the synthesis of monodisperse latices, Biomacromolecules, [online], https://doi.org/10.1021/bm401708m (Accessed April 26, 2024)