surfactant

Blend of surface-active +‎ agent.

• IPA^(key): /səɹˈfæktənt/

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surfactant (plural surfactants)

1. (chemistry) A surface-active agent, or wetting agent, capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid; typically organic compounds having a hydrophilic “head” and a hydrophobic “tail”.

   Synonym: tenside

   • 2023 December 6, Jessica DeFino, “Too Many Products Can Stress Out Your Skin. Here’s How to Scale Back.”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Dr. Khorana added that this is especially true of cleansers that feature surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate, as this class of ingredients can cause “dryness, irritation and eczema.”

2. (biochemistry) A lipoprotein in the tissues of the lung that reduces surface tension and permits more efficient gas transport.
   • 2015 November 25, “Expression and Localization of Lung Surfactant Proteins in Human Testis”, in PLOS ONE‎^[2], →DOI:

     It is conceivable that impairment of surfactant proteins is due to rheological and immunodefensive disorders of testis and epididymis or prostate.