Lipophilic surfaces

An interesting coatings application for lecithin is in producing nonpyrophoric Raney nickel (339). The lecithin in this application creates a lipophilic surface on the metal, along with a wax, fat, or organic polymer. 

Molecular structure and physicochemical properties of the carrier used are important for SLM stability, especially the lipophilicity, surface activity, and its solubihty in the membrane solvent. The membrane is less stable when a more surface-active compound is used as a carrier [89]. When the carrier loss is the main reason for the SLM instabihty, the membrane stabihty can be increased by attaching the carriers to a polymer or covalently hnked onto long ahphatic chains or polysiloxanes [95]. 

Last but not least, beautiful computer models attract attention and convey the feeling that they can disclose some valuable information. As we shall show in the discussion of so-called lipophilic surfaces [2], this is not always the case. 

The colorful lipophilicity surfaces determined on the basis of the above MM calculations [2] aroused admiration and were awarded the Science Award of Sugar Processing Research Inc., New Orleans, LA, although the only reliable information they conveyed, namely that the narrower a-CyD base is less polar than the broader one, results from the presence of twelve OFI groups on the broader base as compared to six on the narrow base, information which is available without carrying out any computations. 

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