Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.2
Journals
Molecules
Special Issues
Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Surfactants
molecules-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Surfactants

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1460

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christina Vakh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), 80-23 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: microextraction; surfactans; supramolecular solvent; green solvents; analytical chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmentally friendly surfactants have attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their potential to replace petroleum-based surfactants, which pose an environmental risk. The development of environmentally friendly surfactants through various approaches, including the use of renewable resources, green chemistry principles, and biotechnology, is of current interest. In addition, alternative raw materials, such as plant-based oils, sugars, and biomass-derived materials, are being used to produce surfactants with improved sustainability profiles.

This Special Issue provides a platform for knowledge sharing regarding the development and application of environmentally friendly surfactants, highlighting their benefits and challenges in various fields of human life, including industry, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. The application of sustainable surfactants in chemical analysis is also an important topic. The beneficial properties of these compounds could potentially replace organic solvents in sample preparation and make the process greener and safer.

We welcome original articles and reviews outlining a green assessment of the development and application of sustainable surfactants.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and hope that the resulting collection will provide a realistic overview of the current possibilities of environmentally friendly surfactants.

Dr. Christina Vakh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • surfactants
  • green analysis
  • synthesis of sustainable surfactants
  • application of sustainable surfactants

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 2451 KiB  
Article
New Insights on Gordonia alkanivorans Strain 1B Surface-Active Biomolecules: Gordofactin Properties
by João Tavares, Susana M. Paixão, Tiago P. Silva and Luís Alves
Molecules 2025, 30(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30010001 - 24 Dec 2024
Viewed by 817
Abstract
Biosurfactants/bioemulsifiers (BSs/BEs) can be defined as surface-active biomolecules produced by microorganisms with a broad range of applications. In recent years, due to their unique properties like biodegradability, specificity, low toxicity, and relative ease of preparation, these biomolecules have attracted wide interest as an [...] Read more.
Biosurfactants/bioemulsifiers (BSs/BEs) can be defined as surface-active biomolecules produced by microorganisms with a broad range of applications. In recent years, due to their unique properties like biodegradability, specificity, low toxicity, and relative ease of preparation, these biomolecules have attracted wide interest as an eco-friendly alternative for several industrial sectors, escalating global microbial BS/BE market growth. Recently, Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B, a bacterium with significant biotechnological potential, well known for its biodesulfurizing properties, carotenoid production, and broad catabolic range, was described as a BS/BE producer. This study focuses on the characterization of the properties of the lipoglycopeptide BSs/BEs produced by strain 1B, henceforth referred to as gordofactin, to better understand its potential and future applications. Strain 1B was cultivated in a chemostat using fructose as a carbon source to stimulate gordofactin production, and different purification methods were tested. The most purified sample, designated as extracted gordofactin, after lyophilization, presented a specific emulsifying activity of 9.5 U/mg and a critical micelle concentration of 13.5 mg/L. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of basic hydroxyl, carboxyl, ether, amine/amide functional groups, and alkyl aliphatic chains, which is consistent with its lipoglycopeptide nature (60% lipids, 19.6% carbohydrates, and 9% proteins). Gordofactin displayed remarkable stability and retained emulsifying activity across a broad range of temperatures (30 °C to 80 °C) and pH (pH 3–12). Moreover, a significant tolerance of gordofactin emulsifying activity (EA) to a wide range of NaCl concentrations (1 to 100 g/L) was demonstrated. Although with a great loss of EA in the presence of NaCl concentrations above 2.5%, gordofactin could still tolerate up to 100 g/L NaCl, maintaining about 16% of its initial EA for up to 7 days. Furthermore, gordofactin exhibited growth inhibition against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and it demonstrated concentration-dependent free radical scavenging activity for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (IC50 ≈ 1471 mg/L). These promising features emphasize the robustness and potential of gordofactin as an eco-friendly BS/BE alternative to conventional surfactants/emulsifiers for different industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development and Application of Environmentally Friendly Surfactants)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop