Polar interactions in flavan-3-ol adsorption on solid surfaces

The adsorption of flavan-3-ol monomers and grape seed procyanidin fractions of different mean degrees of polymerization was studied on three surfaces by means of adsorption isotherms. Reversibility upon dilution was also investigated. These surfaces were three polymeric microfiltration membranes, presenting close Lifshitz-van der Waals components of their surface tension but differing in their surface polar properties. The electron-donor character of the surface was of primary importance for the adsorption of nongalloylated monomers. Increasing the number of phenolic rings above two (galloylated monomers and procyanidins) sharply enhanced flavan-3-ol affinity for surfaces whatever their polarity. However, maximum adsorbed amounts were always much higher on the most polar material. The general trend was a partial reversibility with monomers, whereas an irreversible process was evidenced from the lowest molecular weight tannin fractions. This indicated the formation of multiple bonds with surfaces, in accordance with the high affinity type isotherms. The whole results indicated very different mechanisms in the buildup of the adsorbed layers when the surface electrondonor character varied.