Critical Micelle Concentration Determination of Marine Biosurfactant

The critical micelle concentration (CMC) is defined as the concentration of surfactant above which micelles form and all other surfactants added to the system form micelles. Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds whose molecular structure contains hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. The hydrophobic region is usually a long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbon, while the hydrophilic portion can consist of ionic or nonionic polar groups. The physical properties of these molecules impart the ability to lower the surface tension of the solution and self-assemble into colloids, called micelles. CMC is an important property of surfactants. Surface tension changes strongly with surfactant concentration until the CMC is reached. After reaching the CMC, the surface tension remains relatively constant or changes at a lower slope. Has a wide range of applications. The CMC value of a surfactant is not only related to its molecular structure, but also sensitive to the environment, which is related to the supplier. Therefore, their CMC values need to be measured in practical applications and research.

Fig. 1 Physicochemical and electrochemical methods for determination of critical micelle concentrations of surfactants. (Mabrouk M M, et al., 2022)

Our Services

The determination of CMC is fundamental to many fields, including medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, materials science, biology, and their importance in analytical chemistry. Our determination methods are listed as follows, but are not limited to:

• Spectroscopic Measurements
• Using a fluorescence probe
• Using an absorbance dye
• Electrochemical Methods
• Conductimetry
• Zeta potential measurement
• Potentiometry
• Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy Method
• Voltammetry
• Capillary Electrophoresis-based Methods
• Surface tension measurements
• Contact angle measurement
• Optical Measurements
• Using light scattering
• Using optical fibers
• Using refracto-metric
• Methods Based on Measurements of Physicochemical Properties
• Surface tension and interfacial tension measurement
• Viscosity measurement
• Refractive index measurement
• Light scattering measurement

Importance of CMC Determination

• The value of CMC is an important parameter in various industrial applications involving the adsorption of surfactant molecules at interfaces, such as foams, foams, emulsions, suspensions, and surface coatings.
• It is the easiest way to characterize the colloidal and surface behavior of surfactant solutes.

Highlights of Our CMC Determination Services

• Simple and convenient.
• Applicable to various surfactants.
• Can be used in very low concentrations.
• Sensitivity is not affected by factors such as the concentration of surfactant species, the presence or absence of inorganic salts in the activity level, and other factors.
• Surface tension is generally considered to be the standard method for determining the CMC of surfactants.

CD BioSciences is a professional service provider for the marine biology industry. Our CMC determination services can ensure that the most suitable methods and techniques are selected for your project. We provide our customers with the most precise ingredient data and highly informed process expertise. Our team of biomass experts plays a key role in the formulation, optimization and commercial evaluation of biomass value-added processes in industry and academia. If necessary, please feel free to contact us.

Reference

• Mabrouk M M, Hamed N A, Mansour F R. Physicochemical and electrochemical methods for determination of critical micelle concentrations of surfactants: a comprehensive review[J]. Monatshefte für Chemie-Chemical Monthly, 2022: 1-14.

Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).