Editing Surfactant (section)

==Applications==
Surfactants play an important role as cleaning, [[wetting]], [[Dispersant|dispersing]], [[Emulsifier|emulsifying]], [[foaming agent|foaming]] and [[Defoamer|anti-foaming]] agents in many practical applications and products, including [[detergent]]s, [[fabric softener]]s, [[motor oil]]s, [[emulsion]]s, [[soap]]s, [[paint]]s, [[adhesive]]s, [[ink]]s, [[anti-fog]]s, [[ski wax]]es, snowboard wax, [[deinking]] of [[recycled paper]]s, in flotation, washing and enzymatic processes, and [[laxative]]s. Also agrochemical formulations such as [[herbicide]]s (some), [[insecticide]]s, [[biocide]]s (sanitizers), and [[spermicide]]s ([[nonoxynol-9]]).<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.cis.2007.11.001|title=Surfactant-enhanced remediation of organic contaminated soil and water|year=2008|last1=Paria|first1=Santanu|journal=Advances in Colloid and Interface Science|volume=138|issue=1|pages=24–58|pmid=18154747}}</ref> Personal care products such as [[cosmetics]], [[shampoo]]s, [[shower gel]], [[hair conditioner]]s, and [[toothpaste]]s. Surfactants are used in [[firefighting]] (to make "wet water" that more quickly soaks into flammable materials<ref>[https://www.techtimes.com/articles/293401/20230704/wet-water-outperforms-regular-firefighting-fire-wetting-agents.htm Better Than Water? How Wet Water Outperforms Regular Water in Firefighting]</ref><ref>[https://www.hngn.com/articles/250072/20230704/firefighters-turn-to-wet-water-to-fight-larger-more-complex-fires.htm Firefighters Turn to "Wet Water" to Fight Larger, More Complex Fires]</ref>) and pipelines (liquid drag reducing agents). Alkali surfactant polymers are used to mobilize oil in [[oil well]]s.

Surfactants act to cause the displacement of air from the matrix of cotton pads and bandages so that medicinal solutions can be absorbed for application to various body areas. They also act to displace dirt and debris by the use of detergents in the washing of wounds<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Percival|first1=S.l.|last2=Mayer|first2=D.|last3=Malone|first3=M.|last4=Swanson|first4=T|last5=Gibson|first5=D.|last6=Schultz|first6=G.|date=2017-11-02|title=Surfactants and their role in wound cleansing and biofilm management|journal=Journal of Wound Care|volume=26|issue=11|pages=680–690|doi=10.12968/jowc.2017.26.11.680|pmid=29131752|issn=0969-0700}}</ref> and via the application of medicinal lotions and sprays to surface of skin and mucous membranes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Mc Callion|first1=O. N. M.|last2=Taylor|first2=K. M. G.|last3=Thomas|first3=M.|last4=Taylor|first4=A. J.|date=1996-03-08|title=The influence of surface tension on aerosols produced by medical nebulisers|journal=International Journal of Pharmaceutics|volume=129|issue=1|pages=123–136|doi=10.1016/0378-5173(95)04279-2|issn=0378-5173}}</ref> Surfactants enhance remediation via soil washing, bioremediation, and phytoremediation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bolan |first1=Shiv |last2=Padhye |first2=Lokesh P. |last3=Mulligan |first3=Catherine N. |last4=Alonso |first4=Emilio Ritore |last5=Saint-Fort |first5=Roger |last6=Jasemizad |first6=Tahereh |last7=Wang |first7=Chensi |last8=Zhang |first8=Tao |last9=Rinklebe |first9=Jörg |last10=Wang |first10=Hailong |last11=Siddique |first11=Kadambot H. M. |last12=Kirkham |first12=M. B. |last13=Bolan |first13=Nanthi |date=2023-02-05 |title=Surfactant-enhanced mobilization of persistent organic pollutants: Potential for soil and sediment remediation and unintended consequences |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389422019835 |journal=Journal of Hazardous Materials |volume=443 |pages=130189 |doi=10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130189 |pmid=36265382 |bibcode=2023JHzM..44330189B |issn=0304-3894}}</ref>

===Detergents in biochemistry and biotechnology===
In solution, detergents help solubilize a variety of chemical species by dissociating aggregates and unfolding proteins.  Popular surfactants in the biochemistry laboratory are [[sodium lauryl sulfate]] (SDS) and [[cetyl trimethylammonium bromide]] (CTAB). Detergents are key reagents to [[Liquid-liquid extraction|extract]] protein by lysis of the cells and tissues: they disorganize the membrane's [[lipid bilayer]] (SDS, [[Triton X-100]], [[Triton X-114|X-114]], [[CHAPS detergent|CHAPS]], [[Cholate|DOC]], and [[NP-40]]), and solubilize proteins. Milder detergents such as [[n-Octyl beta-D-thioglucopyranoside|octyl thioglucoside]], [[octyl glucoside]] or [[maltosides|dodecyl maltoside]] are used to solubilize membrane proteins such as [[enzymes]] and [[Receptor (biochemistry)|receptors]] without [[Denaturation (biochemistry)|denaturing]] them. Non-solubilized material is harvested by centrifugation or other means. For [[electrophoresis]], for example, proteins are classically treated with SDS to denature the native [[protein structure|tertiary and quaternary structures]], allowing the separation of proteins according to their [[molecular weight]].

Detergents have also been used to decellularise organs. This process maintains a matrix of proteins that preserves the structure of the organ and often the microvascular network. The process has been successfully used to prepare organs such as the liver and heart for transplant in rats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/june2010/06282010liver.htm|title=Progress Toward an Artificial Liver Transplant&nbsp;– NIH Research Matters|last=Wein|first=Harrison|date=28 June 2010|publisher=National Institutes of Health (NIH)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805083144/http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/june2010/06282010liver.htm|archive-date=5 August 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Pulmonary surfactant]]s are also naturally secreted by type II cells of the lung [[Pulmonary alveolus|alveoli]] in [[mammals]].

===Quantum dot preparation===
Surfactants are used with [[quantum dot]]s in order to manipulate their growth,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Nanocrystals and Close-Packed Nanocrystal Assemblies |journal=[[Annual Review of Materials Research]] |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=545–610 |year=2000 |doi=10.1146/annurev.matsci.30.1.545|bibcode = 2000AnRMS..30..545M |last1=Murray |first1=C. B. |last2=Kagan |first2=C. R. |last3=Bawendi |first3=M. G. }}</ref> assembly, and electrical properties, in addition to mediating reactions on their surfaces. Research is ongoing in how surfactants arrange themselves on the surface of the quantum dots.<ref name="pmid24876347">{{cite journal | vauthors = Zherebetskyy D, Scheele M, Zhang Y, Bronstein N, Thompson C, Britt D, Salmeron M, Alivisatos P, Wang LW | title = Hydroxylation of the surface of PbS nanocrystals passivated with oleic acid | journal = Science | volume = 344 | issue = 6190 | pages = 1380–4 | date = June 2014 | pmid = 24876347 | doi = 10.1126/science.1252727 | bibcode = 2014Sci...344.1380Z | s2cid = 206556385 | url = https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6p2408jt | access-date = 24 June 2019 | archive-date = 26 March 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200326084747/https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6p2408jt | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== Surfactants in droplet-based microfluidics ===
Surfactants play an important role in [[droplet-based microfluidics]] in the stabilization of the droplets, and the prevention of the fusion of droplets during incubation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Baret|first=Jean-Christophe|date=2012-01-10|title=Surfactants in droplet-based microfluidics|url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/lc/c1lc20582j|journal=Lab on a Chip|language=en|volume=12|issue=3|pages=422–433|doi=10.1039/C1LC20582J|pmid=22011791|issn=1473-0189|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=14 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214151429/https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/LC/C1LC20582J|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Heterogeneous catalysis ===
Janus-type material is used as a surfactant-like heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of adipic acid.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Vafaeezadeh |first1=Majid |last2=Wilhelm |first2=Christian |last3=Breuninger |first3=Paul |last4=Ernst |first4=Stefan |last5=Antonyuk |first5=Sergiy |last6=Thiel |first6=Werner R. |date=2020-05-20 |title=A Janus-type Heterogeneous Surfactant for Adipic Acid Synthesis |journal=ChemCatChem |language=en |volume=12 |issue=10 |pages=2695–2701 |doi=10.1002/cctc.202000140 |issn=1867-3880|doi-access=free }}</ref>