13 research outputs found
Diagnosing the role of the state for local collective action : types of action situations and policy instruments
Unidad de excelencia MarÃa de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552This paper presents a diagnostic approach to the role and capacity of governments to facilitate local collective action and alleviate environmental problems. The paper adds to a nascent scholarship aiming to conciliate theories on "governance by government" and "governance by self-organization". We adopt two premises for that purpose: (1) policy instruments shall be tailored to the strategic nature of local resource management decisions; and (2) such nature is not static and can be modified via governmental policies. We first build on the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to characterize the decision-making situations that local resource users face and the local rules that shape said situations. Then, based on common pool resource (CPR) and policy instrument choice theory, we identify four mechanisms through which different policy instruments can facilitate local collective action (change in payoffs and their perception, reduction of transaction costs, reduction of uncertainty, and normative consonance). This analytical approach is then applied to four illustrative cases of water management in Germany, France, Greece and Spain. As shown, local resource users are embedded in not one but many overlapping decision-making situations. In this context, the promotion of collective action is rarely accomplished via a single policy instrument or mechanism but via bundles of them. Also, the paper illustrates the importance of understanding how governmental policies modify the structure of rules and incentives that affect local resource users, potentially facilitating local collective action and the solution of environmental problems
Effect of Polymer Molecular Weight and Solution pH on the Surface Properties of Sodium Dodecylsulfate-Poly(Ethyleneimine) Mixtures
The effect of polymer molecular weight and solution pH
on the surface
properties of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate, SDS, and
a range of small linear polyÂ(ethyleneimine), PEI, polyelectrolytes
of different molecular weights has been studied by surface tension,
ST, and neutron reflectivity, NR, at the air–solution interface.
The strong SDS–PEI interaction gives rise to a complex pattern
of ST behavior which depends significantly on solution pH and PEI
molecular weight. The ST data correlate broadly with the more direct
determination of the surface adsorption and surface structure obtained
using NR. At pH 3, 7, and 10, the strong SDS–PEI interaction
results in a pronounced SDS adsorption at relatively low SDS and PEI
concentrations, and is largely independent of pH and PEI molecular
weight (for PEI molecular weights on the order of 320, 640, and 2000
Da). At pH 7 and 10, there are combinations of SDS and PEI concentrations
for which surface multilayer structures form. For the PEI molecular
weights of 320 and 640 Da, these surface multilayer structures are
most well-developed at pH 10 and less so at pH 7. At the molecular
weight of 2000 Da, they are poorly developed at both pH 7 and 10.
This evolution in the surface structure with molecular weight is consistent
with previous studies, where for a molecular
weight of 25 000 Da no multilayer structures were observed
for the linear PEI. The results show the importance with increasing
polymer molecular weight of the entropic contribution due to the polymer
flexibility in control of the surface multilayer formation
Effect of Architecture on the Formation of Surface Multilayer Structures at the Air–Solution Interface from Mixtures of Surfactant with Small Poly(ethyleneimine)s
The impact of ethyleneimine architecture on the adsorption
behavior
of mixtures of small polyÂ(ethyleneimines) and oligoethyleneimines
(OEIs) with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) at
the air–solution interface has been studied by surface tension
(ST) and neutron reflectivity (NR). The strong surface interaction
between OEI and SDS gives rise to complex surface tension behavior
that has a pronounced pH dependence. The NR data provide more direct
access to the surface structure and show that the patterns of ST behavior
are correlated with substantial OEI/SDS adsorption and the spontaneous
formation of surface multilayer structures. The regions of surface
multilayer formation depend upon SDS and OEI concentrations, on the
solution pH, and on the OEI architecture, linear or branched. For
the linear OEIs (octaethyleneimine, linear polyÂ(ethyleneimine) or
LPEI<sub>8</sub>, and decaethyleneimine, LPEI<sub>10</sub>) with SDS,
surface multilayer formation occurs over a range of OEI and SDS concentrations
at pH 7 and to a much lesser extent at pH 10, whereas at pH 3 only
monolayer adsorption occurs. In contrast, for branched OEIs BPEI<sub>8</sub> and BPEI<sub>10</sub> surface multilayer formation occurs
over a wide range of OEI and SDS concentrations at pH 3 and 7, and
at pH 10, the adsorption is mainly in the form of a monolayer. The
results provide important insight into how the OEI architecture and
pH can be used to control and manipulate the nature of the OEI/surfactant
adsorption
Temperature Resistant Binary SLES/Nonionic Surfactant Mixtures at the Air/Water Interface
Surface compositions of adsorbed monolayers at the air/water
interface, formed from binary surfactant mixtures in equilibrium,
have been studied using neutron reflectivity at three discrete temperatures:
10, 25, and 40 °C. The binary compositions studied are sodium
lauryl dodecyl ether sulfate (SLES EO3)/C12E<i>n</i>, where <i>n</i> = 6 and 8, at a fixed concentration of 2 mM with and without
the addition of 0.1 M NaCl. Without NaCl, the nonionic surfactant
dominates at the interface and nonideal mixing behavior is observed.
This is modeled using the pseudophase approximation with a quadratic
expansion of the free energy of mixing. The addition of 0.1 M NaCl
screens the charge interaction between the surfactants and drives
the surface composition of each system closer to that of the bulk
composition. However, model fits to both the micelles and surface
layers suggest that nonideal mixing is still taking place, although
it is difficult to establish the extent of nonideality due to the
limited data quality. The effect of temperature changes on the surface
adsorption and composition of the surfactant mixtures is minimal and
within error, with and without NaCl, but the critical micelle concentrations
are significantly affected. This indicates the dominant influence
of steric hindrances and surfactant charge interactions in determining
interfacial behavior for these surfactants, relative to the temperature
changes. The study also highlights the delicate effect of a relatively
small change in the number of EO groups on mixing behavior
Impact of Electrolyte on Adsorption at the Air–Water Interface for Ternary Surfactant Mixtures above the Critical Micelle Concentration
The
composition of the air–water adsorbed layer of the ternary
surfactant mixture, octaethylene monododecyl ether, C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub>, sodium dodecyl 6-benzenesulfonate, LAS, and sodium
dioxyethylene glycol monododecyl sulfate, SLES, and of each of the
binary mixtures, with varying amounts of electrolyte, has been studied
by neutron reflectivity. The measurements were made above the mixed
critical micelle concentration. In the absence of electrolyte adsorption
is dominated by the nonionic component C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> but addition of electrolyte gradually changes this so that SLES
and LAS dominate at higher electrolyte concentrations. The composition
of the adsorbed layer in both binary and ternary mixtures can be quantitatively
described using the pseudo–phase approximation with quadratic
and cubic interactions in the excess free energy of mixing (<i>G</i><sub>E</sub>) at both the surface and in the micelles.
A single set of parameters fits all the experimental data. A similar
analysis is effective for a mixture in which SDS replaces SLES. Addition
of electrolyte weakens the synergistic SLES–C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> and LAS–C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> interactions,
consistent with them being dominated by electrostatic interactions.
The SLES–LAS (and SDS–LAS) interaction is moderately
strong at the surface and is little affected by addition of electrolyte,
suggesting that it is controlled by structural or packing factors.
Most of the significant interactions in the mixtures are unsymmetrical
with respect to composition, with the minimum in <i>G</i><sub>E</sub> at the 1:2 or 2:1 composition. There is a small structural
contribution to the LAS-C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> interaction that
leads to a minimum intermediate in composition between 1:2 and 1:1
(LAS:C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub>) and to a significant residual <i>G</i><sub><i>E</i></sub> in strong electrolyte
Surface Adsorption in Ternary Surfactant Mixtures above the Critical Micelle Concentration: Effects of Asymmetry on the Composition Dependence of the Excess Free Energy
The
composition of the adsorbed layer of a ternary surfactant mixture
at the air–water interface has been studied by neutron reflectivity.
The adsorption of the ternary mixture of octaethylene monododecyl
ether (C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub>) sodium dodecyl 6-benzene sulfonate
(LAS), and sodium dioxyethylene glycol monododecyl sulfate (SLES),
as well as each of the binary mixtures, at solution concentrations
greater than the mixed critical micelle concentration is highly nonideal.
In the ternary mixture, the surface adsorption is dominated by C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> and LAS, and there is little SLES at the interface.
The departure from ideality in the binary mixtures can be quantitatively
described by applying the pseudophase approximation with quadratic
and cubic terms in the excess free energy of mixing (<i>G</i><sub>E</sub>) both at the surface and in the micelles. The same parameters
that describe the binary interactions give a quantitative fit to the
adsorbed fractions in the ternary mixture over a wide range of composition.
A similar analysis is effective for the mixture containing sodium
dodecyl sulfate instead of SLES. Of the set of six <i>G</i><sub>E</sub> required to fit the ternary data, one is ideal (SLES–LAS)
and three, LAS–C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub> (micelle) and C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>8</sub>–SLES (micelle and surface), have minima
occurring at a composition (mole fraction) of the anionic species
of 1/3
Adsorption at Air–Water and Oil–Water Interfaces and Self-Assembly in Aqueous Solution of Ethoxylated Polysorbate Nonionic Surfactants
The Tween nonionic surfactants are
ethoxylated sorbitan esters,
which have 20 ethylene oxide groups attached to the sorbitan headgroup
and a single alkyl chain, lauryl, palmityl, stearyl, or oleyl. They
are an important class of surfactants that are extensively used in
emulsion and foam stabilization and in applications associated with
foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. A range of ethoxylated polysorbate
surfactants, with differing degrees of ethoxylation from 3 to 50 ethylene
oxide groups, have been synthesized and characterized by neutron reflection,
small-angle neutron scattering, and surface tension. In conjunction
with different alkyl chain groups, this provides the opportunity to
modify their surface properties, their self-assembly in solution,
and their interaction with macromolecules, such as proteins. Adsorption
at the air–water and oil–water interfaces and solution
self-assembly of the range of ethoxylated polysorbate surfactants
synthesized are presented and discussed
Structural Features of Reconstituted Cuticular Wax Films upon Interaction with Nonionic Surfactant C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>6</sub>
The interaction of
nonionic surfactant hexaethylene glycol monododecyl
ether (C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>6</sub>) with a reconstituted cuticular
wheat wax film has been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry
and neutron reflection (NR) to help understand the role of the leaf
wax barrier during pesticide uptake, focusing on the mimicry of the
actions adjuvants impose on the physical integrity and transport of
the cuticular wax films against surfactant concentration. As the C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>6</sub> concentration was increased up to the critical
micelle concentration (CMC = 0.067 mM), an increasing amount of surfactant
mass was deposited onto the wax film. Alongside surface adsorption,
C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>6</sub> was also observed to penetrate the wax
film, which is evident from the NR measurements using fully protonated
and chain-deuterated surfactants. Furthermore, surfactant action upon
the model wax film was found to be physically reversible below the
CMC, as water rinsing could readily remove the adsorbed surfactant,
leaving the wax film in its original state. Above the CMC, the detergency
action of the surfactant became dominant, and a significant proportion
of the wax film was removed, causing structural damage. The results
thus reveal that both water and C<sub>12</sub>E<sub>6</sub> could
easily penetrate the wax film throughout the concentration range measured,
indicating a clear pathway for the transport of active ingredients
while the removal of the wax components above the CMC must have enhanced
the transport process. As the partial removal of the wax film could
also expose the underlying cutaneous substrate to the environment
and undermine the plant’s health, this study has a broad implication
to the roles of surfactants in crop care
Surface Modification of Polyethylene with Multi-End-Functional Polyethylene Additives
We have prepared and characterized a series of multifluorocarbon
end-functional polyethylene additives, which when blended with polyethylene
matrices increase surface hydrophobicity and lipophobicity. Water
contact angles of >112° were observed on spin-cast blended
film
surfaces containing less than 1% fluorocarbon in the bulk, compared
to ∼98° in the absence of any additive. Crystallinity
in these films gives rise to surface roughness that is an order of
magnitude greater than is typical for amorphous spin-cast films but
is too little to give rise to superhydrophobicity. X-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the enrichment of the multifluorocarbon
additives at the air surface by up to 80 times the bulk concentration.
Ion beam analysis was used to quantify the surface excess of the additives
as a function of composition, functionality, and molecular weight
of either blend component. In some cases, an excess of the additives
was also found at the substrate interface, indicating phase separation
into self-stratified layers. The combination of neutron reflectometry
and ion beam analysis allowed the surface excess to be quantified
above and below the melting point of the blended films. In these films,
where the melting temperatures of the additive and matrix components
are relatively similar (within 15 °C), the surface excess is
almost independent of whether the blended film is semicrystalline
or molten, suggesting that the additive undergoes cocrystallization
with the matrix when the blended films are allowed to cool below the
melting point