Pluronic® surfactants

Although block copolymers do not occur naturally, synthetic block copolymers have been prepared by all known classical polymerization techniques. The first commercial block copolymer was a surfactant (Pluronics) prepared by the addition of propylene oxide to polycarbanions of ethylene oxide. While neither water-soluble PEO nor water-insoluble poly(propylene oxide) exhibits surface activity, the ABA block copolymer consisting of hydrophilic and lyophilic segments, is an excellent surfactant. Each block has 20 plus repeat units of that variety. 

Additionally, the stability of dyes in solution can be dependent upon the specific excipients used in the formulation. For example, FD C Blue 2 was found to fade more rapidly in the presence of several sugars (sorbitol, mannitol, dextrose, sucrose, and lactose) and that the nonionic surfactant Pluronic F-68 promoted the fading of FD C Blue 2. The combination of coloring agents can lead to complications... 

BASF Surfactants Pluronic, Plurafac, Industrol BASF... 

For suspension cultures, cell injury can occur due to the disruption of ascending bubbles or of those associated with the foam accumulated at the surface. Many additives, such as serum and the surfactant Pluronic F68, have been employed since the 1950s to protect cells from fluid-mechanical forces. 

The addition of surfactants allows a modification of the kinetics of nonspecific cell adhesion to bubbles. When substances such as methyl cellulose or Pluronic F68 are added to the culture, the time needed for cell adhesion to occur is increased (Meier et al., 1999). In this way, the number of cells adhered to a bubble at the moment of its explosion is lower by several orders of magnitude. The non-ionic surfactant Pluronic F68 is so far the best option, since it efficiently protects cells from bubble damage without significantly affecting oxygen transfer. Flowever, its presence may be undesirable for certain stages of protein purification. 

Gel times as a function of pH of the starting solution for EGMS, PGMS, and GLMS modified silanes in the presence of surfactant (Pluronic P123) (note that the gelation time is presented in a logarithmic scale). 

Surfactant Pluronic L121 Trylox 5900 CO-5 Trylox 6960 NP-1 Pluronic LlOl Witcamide 511 Petrosul 750... 

Fig. 16. Experimental C direct excitation spectra of an aqueous dispersion of poly-u-butylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules (top) and of reference samples of liquid and dissolved constituents (a aqueous solution of the block-copolymer surfactant Pluronic F68 b the liquid oil component Miglyol 812 used as capsule content c the liquid monomer u-butylcyanoacry-late). " All spectra are measured at a resonance frequency of wc 100MHz under full proton decoupling. In the spectrum of the dispersion, no narrow signals occur at the positions of the n-butylcyanoacrylate resonances (vertical arrows), indicating the complete absence of the monomer after the formation of the capsules. For the capsule dispersion, a slight increase in line width is observed for the characteristic resonances of the liquid components.

The primary W/O emulsion was emulsified in an aqueous solution containing the polymeric surfactant Pluronic PEF127. A sample of the polymeric surfactant (2g) was dissolved in 16.2 g water containing a preservative by stirring at 5°C. 

Mordenite seeding gels mesostructured by the nonionic surfactant Pluronic P123... 

The most convenient polymeric surfactants are those of the block-and-graft copolymer type triblock polymeric surfactants—Pluronics (BASF) and Synperonic PE (ICI)—two... 

Tai YC, McGuire J, Neff JA. Nisin antimicrobial activity and structural characteristics at hydrophobic surfaces coated with the PEO-PPO-PEO niblock surfactant Pluronic F108. J Colloid Interface Sci 2008 322 104—11. 

In our work [134] we addressed the sol-gel preparation of mesoporous Ag-doped titania films by using eommereially available AgNOs and a non-ionic surfactant (Pluronic F-127) to increase its photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic pollutant. 

In situ degradation of the azo dye methyl orange in aqueous solution was performed in the presence of various pure and Ag metal ion-doped titania thin films, prepared with and without surfactants. The main aim of the study was to analyze the effect of non ionic surfactant (Pluronic F-127), Ag metal ion doping and their combined effect on the photo-induced hydrophilicity and photocatalytic degradation of ambient air contaminants (gas-solid interface), methyl stearate (solid-solid interface) and azo dye methyl orange (liquid-solid interface). 

Fig. 17 Glucose concentration gradient measurements on (A) FDU-15 and (B) FDU-16 with 10% binders (from top to bottom PHBMA ( ), PTBMA ( ), PPMA ( ) binder and pristine SPE (O) as control). Mesoporous carbons were synthesized by organic-organic self-assembly of a triblock copolymer surfactant, Pluronic F127 (PE0106-PP070-PEO106, BASF). Phenol/formaldehyde/NaOH/F127 = 1 2 0.1 0.012 (FDU-15) and phe-nol/formaldehyde/NaOH/F127 = 1 2 0.1 0.006 (FDU-16). Reproduced from Dai et a/. with permission of publisher.

Several examples of block and graft copolymers may be quoted. Triblock polymeric surfactants [ Pluronics (BASF) or Synperonic PE (ICI)] - two poly-A blocks of PEO and one block poly-B of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) several chain lengths of PEO and PPO are available. Triblocks of PPO-PEO-PEO (inverse Pluronics ) are also available. Polymeric triblock surfactants can be applied as emulsifiers and dispersants. The hydrophobic PPO chain resides at the hydrophobic surface, leaving the two PEO chains dangling in aqueous solution (providing steric stabilisation). 

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