Lauroyl arginate ethyl: A novel bio-based CO₂-switchable surfactant

For switchable surfactant to be reusable, its property must be activated by a stimulus after it has been utilized. Nonetheless, a plenty of switchable surfactants are environmentally harmful tertiary amines. This study investigates the biocompatible amino acid derivatives, lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE) as a new biodegradable CO2-switchable surfactant. In the study, LAE was prepared and its structure was characterized. The variation of pH value was measured to determine the responsiveness to CO2. The surface tension and interfacial tension were measured to determine the surface activity of the material. Finally, CO2 and N-2 were injected into the solution to determine reversible emulsification of emulsion. Not only does the LAE have reversible emulsification capacity, but it is also non-toxic and biodegradable. In the future, its applications in everyday life and industry will expand.