Co-Adsorption of Novobiocin and Three Common Surfactants on Polystyrene: Molecular Insights from Experiments and Simulations.
- 1School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma73019, United States.
- 2Materials Science and Engineering Program, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma73019, United States.
- 3Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma73019, United States.
Abstract
In several environments, including wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), plastics encounter surface-active molecules such as antibiotics and surfactants, essential components of consumer products, detergents, and drugs. In these conditions, synergistic and antagonistic effects could affect how surfactants and antibiotics compete for access to plastic surfaces. Experimental and computational results are presented here to quantify the adsorption on polystyrene (PS) of the antibiotic Novobiocin (NVB) in combination with adsorption of three surfactants─the anionic docusate sodium salt, AOT; the cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB; and the nonionic hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, C12E6. The experimental results obtained with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) suggest that, rather than removing NVB, the three surfactants yield an adlayer on the NVB film pre-adsorbed on PS. On the contrary, an aqueous solution of NVB partially removes pre-adsorbed surfactant films, and co-adsorption at the PS surface likely occurs. To rationalize these observations, molecular simulations were conducted at low concentrations of NVB and surfactants, somewhat similar to those found in aquatic environments. The computational results show that the interactions between NVB and PS are stronger than those between surfactants and PS. Combined, the results show that NVB and these surfactants are likely to co-adsorb on the polystyrene surface. Although generalization is premature, the observed synergism might facilitate the environmental dispersion of both antibiotics and microplastics, suggesting that advanced technologies are required to properly handle plastics, microplastics, and antibiotics in WWTPs, towards preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
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BibTeX
@article{barrios2026coadsorption,
title = {{Co-Adsorption of Novobiocin and Three Common Surfactants on Polystyrene: Molecular Insights from Experiments and Simulations.}},
author = {Diana S Barrios and Gabriel D Barbosa and Sepideh Razavi and Helen I Zgurskaya and Brian P Grady and Alberto Striolo},
journal = {Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c02613},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916782},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Co-Adsorption of Novobiocin and Three Common Surfactants on Polystyrene: Molecular Insights from Experiments and Simulations.
AU - Diana S Barrios
AU - Gabriel D Barbosa
AU - Sepideh Razavi
AU - Helen I Zgurskaya
AU - Brian P Grady
AU - Alberto Striolo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
DO - 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c02613
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42916782
AB - In several environments, including wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), plastics encounter surface-active molecules such as antibiotics and surfactants, essential components of consumer products, detergents, and drugs. In these conditions, synergistic and antagonistic effects could affect how surfactants and antibiotics compete for access to plastic surfaces. Experimental and computational results are presented here to quantify the adsorption on polystyrene (PS) of the antibiotic Novobiocin (NVB) in combination with adsorption of three surfactants─the anionic docusate sodium salt, AOT; the cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB; and the nonionic hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, C12E6. The experimental results obtained with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) suggest that, rather than removing NVB, the three surfactants yield an adlayer on the NVB film pre-adsorbed on PS. On the contrary, an aqueous solution of NVB partially removes pre-adsorbed surfactant films, and co-adsorption at the PS surface likely occurs. To rationalize these observations, molecular simulations were conducted at low concentrations of NVB and surfactants, somewhat similar to those found in aquatic environments. The computational results show that the interactions between NVB and PS are stronger than those between surfactants and PS. Combined, the results show that NVB and these surfactants are likely to co-adsorb on the polystyrene surface. Although generalization is premature, the observed synergism might facilitate the environmental dispersion of both antibiotics and microplastics, suggesting that advanced technologies are required to properly handle plastics, microplastics, and antibiotics in WWTPs, towards preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
SN - 0743-7463
SN - 1520-5827
ER -