Review

Dynamic assembly and functions of surfactants

  • 张紫祺 ,
  • 范雅珣 ,
  • 王毅琳
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  • aState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China. Hefei 230026, P. R. China;
    bState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, and School of Nano Science and Technology, Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China

Received date: 2026-06-09

  Online published: 2026-08-17

Supported by

National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA0716700), Science and Technology Project of Suzhou (ZXP2025309, ZXP2025067) and Suzhou Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science (SZ2024004).

Abstract

Surfactants, owing to their unique amphiphilic nature and excellent interfacial activity, have been widely applied in household chemicals, cleaning, food processing, medicine, agriculture, and petroleum recovery. However, conventional surfactants often suffer from low utilization efficiency, environmental contamination, and limited functionality during practical applications, creating an urgent demand for the development of highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and multifunctional surfactant systems. Recent studies have demonstrated that the dynamic assembly behavior of surfactants at interfaces and in bulk solution plays a decisive role in their practical performance. By regulating surfactant molecular structures, aggregate morphologies, and dynamic transformation processes, the interfacial behaviors and functional properties of surfactant systems can be precisely controlled. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the dynamic assembly and functional applications of surfactants, including low-foaming and highly efficient cleaning, long-lasting antibacterial activity, enhanced boiling heat transfer of droplets impacting overheated surfaces, suppression of Worthington jets generated by droplet impact on liquid pools, and promotion of efficient deposition and spreading of pesticide droplets on superhydrophobic crop surfaces. Particular emphasis is placed on the critical roles of hierarchical assemblies, such as vesicles, wormlike micelles, and coacervates, in interfacial migration, structural transformation, and functional realization. Finally, the future prospects of dynamically assembled surfactant systems in green cleaning, efficient heat transfer, precision agriculture, and smart responsive materials are discussed, aiming to provide guidance for the design and practical applications of next-generation functional surfactant systems.

Cite this article

张紫祺 , 范雅珣 , 王毅琳 . Dynamic assembly and functions of surfactants[J]. Acta Chimica Sinica, 0 : 26060189 . DOI: 10.6023/A26060189

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