Theoretical study of phase transition behaviour in mixed biopolymer + surfactant interfacial layers using the self-consistent-field approach

ETTELAIE, R.; DICKINSON, E.; CAO, L; PUGNALONI, L. A.

Food Colloids: Self-assembly and Material Science

Royal Society of Chemistry

Lugar: Cambridge, U.K.; Año: 2007; p. 245 - 256

In what this work we describe a theoretical study to investigate the phase behaviour of surfactant + biopolymer layers based on the well-known self-consistent-field (SCF) approach. This method is chosen here as it accounts for all the possible configurations that the polymer chains can take at the interface. Also, unlike most previous theoretical studies, the current work focuses on situations where the mixed surfactants and biopolymers exhibit some degree of unfavourable unlike interactions. The origins of such interactions are briefly discussed.