On how hydrogen bonds affect foam stability

Abstract

Do intermolecular H-bonds between surfactant head groups play a role for foam stability? From the literature on the foam stability of various surfactants with C12 alkyl chains but different head groups a clear picture emerges: stable foams are only generated when hydrogen bonds can form between the head groups, i.e. when the polar head group has a hydrogen bond donor and a proton acceptor. Stable foams can therefore be generated with surfactants having a sugar unit, a glycine, an amine oxide (at pH~5), or a carboxylic acid (at pH~pK_a) as polar head group. On the other hand, aqueous foams stabilized with surfactants having oligo(ethylene oxide), phosphine oxide, quaternary ammonium, sulfate, sarcosine, amine oxide (at pH≠5), or carboxylic acid (at pH≠pK_a) are not very stable. These observations suggest that hydrogen bonds between neighbouring molecules at the surface enhance foam stability. Formation of hydrogen bonds between surfactant head groups gives rise to a short-range attractive interaction that may restrict the surfactant's mobility while providing a more elastic surfactant layer which can counteract deformations. To support our hypothesis we carried out a systematic foaming study of two types of surfactants, one of them being capable of forming H-bonds and the other one not. Generating foams of all surfactants mentioned above with the same foaming conditions we found that stable foams are obtained when the head group is capable of forming intersurfactant H-bonds. The outcome of this study constitutes a new step towards the implementation of H-bonds in the future design of surfactants.