Structural insights into fragrance encapsulation by biosurfactants via SANS

With increasing demand for sustainable surfactants, biosurfactants offer a viable alternative to synthetic surfactants in personal care formulations due to their biodegradability, compatibility with bio-ingredients, and surface activity. This proposal aims to investigate the effect of three fragrance molecules; limonene, linalool, and menthol on the micellisation behaviour of three biosurfactants: monorhamnolipids (R1), dirhamnolipids (R2), and surfactin (ST). By using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we aim to elucidate structural changes in micelles, such as variations in size, shape induced by the presence of the fragrance molecules. Preliminary diffusion NMR suggests a strong association between fragrances and micelles, yet it still lacks spatial resolution that SANS would traditionally offer.