| abstract |
Disclosed is a process and device allowing for fast measurements of the physicochemical properties of amphiphiles (lipids, surfactants, soaps,...). A Marangoni flow is created and characterized using amphiphiles to be characterized. The observed flow is characterized, and using the disclosed process, one can deduce from this measurement many important physicochemical parameters of the amphiphiles such as their critical micellar concentration. Compared to existing techniques, the disclosed process offers the advantage that it requires a single experiment to deduce the parameters, when other techniques (pendant drop method, conductometry, etc...) require the measurement of a quantity (interfacial tension, conductometry) against a systematically varied parameter (amphiphile concentration,...). The disclosed process and devices are ideal to characterize and/or screen rapidly amphiphiles molecules based on their interaction with a solvent. |