Bristol Surfactant Research

Graphical abstract for publication: Surfactants at the Design Limit

The Eastoe research group sky-scanning

Scattering profile from neutron facility D22 at the ILL, Grenoble.

Bristol Surfactant Research (BSR) conducts research that spans colloids, surfactants, and applications of neutron scattering. The aim of the research is to improve understanding, applications and scope of Colloid and Interface Science, with particular focus on surfactants. In many diverse industrial processes you will find surfactants including detergents, oil recovery, agrochemicals, medicine and electronic inks, making them an important group of chemicals in today's society.

The Research Group

The head of the research group is Professor Julian Eastoe. There are several postgraduates each working on novel, cutting-edge research and we take a number of master students each year. To find out more about the group and the sort of research we do, click here.

News

Our collaborative work with researchers in Paraba State University, Brazil has been featured on PBS news hour USA. Read the PBS article here and journal article here, 25^th Sept 2018.
Our research using neutrons to investigate fluorocarbon surfactants used in fire-fighting foam formulations was chosen as a scientific highlight for the ISIS website. Read the scientific highlight here and journal article here. 10^th Sept 2018.
New publication - Preparation of conductive cellulose paper through electrochemical exfoliation of graphite: The role of anionic surfactant ionic liquids as exfoliating and stabilizing agents, 15^th Aug 2018.
New publication - Anisotropic reversed micelles with fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon hybrid surfactants in supercritical CO₂, 1^st Aug 2018.
New publication - Surface and bulk properties of surfactants used in fire-fighting, 7^th July 2018.

What are surfactants

Surfactants (surface-active agents) are organic molecules that, when dissolved in a solvent at low concentration, have the ability to adsorb (or locate) at interfaces, thereby altering significantly the physical properties of those interfaces.

Neutron scattering facilities

Colloidal particles are very small (typically 10 – 10⁴ Å) and neutron scattering techniques provide the ideal tool for studying colloidal systems as the size of the aggregates and particles often fall within the resolution offered by neutrons.