Multiscale understanding of complex air care formulations

Monday, April 28, 2025

2:35 PM – 2:55 PM PST

Room: B110-112

Presenting Author(s)

Zhenyu Jason Zhang, PhD

Professor of Soft Matter Engineering
University of Birmingham
Birmingham, United Kingdom

Co-Author(s)

YL

Yang Lu

Senior Scientist
Procter & Gamble, United States
FA

Frances Joan Alvarez

Senior Scientist
Procter & Gamble, United States
SH

Steve Horenziak

Research Fellow
Procter & Gamble, United States
Yu Liu (she/her/hers)

EngD candidate
University of Birmingham
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Abstract: Air care products contain a complex delivery system to trap and trap malodor molecules using hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin (β-CD), which is facilitated by surfactants and perfume. To design superior and sustainable air care products, a systematic study was carried out to investigate the physical transformations involved, including surface wetting, evaporation, molecular adsorption, and the morphological/chemical characteristics of the resulting organic thin film. Quartz Crystal Microbalance data shows that CD does not adsorb on the model hydrophilic substrate, which is largely due to the extensive amount of hydroxyl groups. However, formulations of varied wettability, due to the incorporation of HCO, resulted in thin films of distinctively different morphology and packaging, which was acquired by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The knowledge established could be used for the development of air care products, but agrochemicals and pharmaceutical aerosols.