Kinetics of micellization: its significance to technological processes

The association of many classes of surface active molecules into micellar aggregates is a well-known phenomenon. Micelles are often drawn as static structures of spherical aggregates of oriented molecules. However, micelles are in dynamic equilibrium with surfactant monomers in the bulk solution constantly being exchanged with the surfactant molecules in the micelles. Additionally, the micelles themselves are continuously disintegrating and reforming. The first process is a fast relaxation process typically referred to as τ₁. The latter is a slow relaxation process with relaxation time τ₂. Thus, τ₂ represents the entire process of the formation or disintegration of a micelle. The slow relaxation time is directly correlated with the average lifetime of a micelle, and hence the molecular packing in the micelle, which in turn relates to the stability of a micelle. It was shown earlier by Shah and coworkers that the stability of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles plays an important role in various technological processes involving an increase in interfacial area, such as foaming, wetting, emulsification, solubilization and detergency. The slow relaxation time of SDS micelles, as measured by pressure-jump and temperature-jump techniques was in the range of 10⁻⁴–10¹ s depending on the surfactant concentration. A maximum relaxation time and thus a maximum micellar stability was found at 200 mM SDS, corresponding to the least foaming, largest bubble size, longest wetting time of textile, largest emulsion droplet size and the most rapid solubilization of oil. These results are explained in terms of the flux of surfactant monomers from the bulk to the interface, which determines the dynamic surface tension. The more stable micelles lead to less monomer flux and hence to a higher dynamic surface tension. As the SDS concentration increases, the micelles become more rigid and stable as a result of the decrease in intermicellar distance. The smaller the intermicellar distance, the larger the Coulombic repulsive forces between the micelles leading to enhanced stability of micelles (presumably by increased counterion binding to the micelles). The Center for Surface Science & Engineering at the University of Florida has developed methods using stopped-flow and pressure-jump with optical detection to determine the slow relaxation time of micelles of nonionic surfactants. The results show relaxation times τ₂ in the range of seconds for Triton X-100 to minutes for polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers. The slow relaxation times are much longer for nonionic surfactants than for ionic surfactants, because of the absence of ionic repulsion between the head groups. The observed relaxation time τ₂ was related to dynamic surface tension and foaming experiments. A slow break-up of micelles, (i.e. a long relaxation time τ₂) corresponds to a high dynamic surface tension and low foamability, whereas a fast break-up of micelles, leads to a lower dynamic surface tension and higher foamability. In conclusion, micellar stability and thus the micellar break-up time is a key factor in controlling technological processes involving a rapid increase in interfacial area, such as foaming, wetting, emulsification and oil solubilization. First, the available monomers adsorb onto the freshly created interface. Then, additional monomers must be provided by the break-up of micelles. Especially when the free monomer concentration is low, as indicated by a low CMC, the micellar break-up time is a rate limiting step in the supply of monomers, which is the case for many nonionic surfactant solutions. Therefore, relaxation time data of surfactant solutions enables us to predict the performance of a given surfactant solution. Moreover, the results suggest that one can design appropriate micelles with specific stability or τ₂ by controlling the surfactant structure, concentration and physico-chemical conditions, as well as by mixing anionic/cationic or ionic/nonionic surfactants for a desired technological application.     

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy of aqueous micellar electrolyte solutions: A novel application to infer Dukhin number and zeta potential of a micelle

The complex permittivities of aqueous SDS solutions, with and without the addition of sodium chloride (NaCl), are measured in the frequency range from 200 MHz to 14 GHz. The SDS concentrations are chosen such that the SDS molecules aggregate to micelles. In this frequency range, the measured spectra allow for the identification of two different relaxation processes. That is, the relaxation of the water molecules at frequencies above 1 GHz and the micellar relaxation at frequencies lower than 1 GHz. It is found that the addition of NaCl to the system mostly affects the micellar relaxation process. In detail, the time constant as well as the amplitude of the relaxation decrease by adding NaCl. These effects are attributed to the change in the solution conductivity that changes the properties of the micelle's electrical double layer. We also extract the Dukhin number of the micelles as a function of surfactant and electrolyte content from the measurements. The Dukhin number is a dimensionless group that describes the influence of the surface conductivity on a phenomena. A regression between Dukhin numbers and free sodium ions is found so that all data collapses on a single curve independent of the surfactant concentration. The surface conductivity is a manifestation of the electrical double layer and we use the Bikerman equation to infer the zeta potential of the micelles. Comparison to literature data shows very good agreement and proves that dielectric relaxation spectroscopy can be engaged to infer the zeta potential of micelles. Abbreviations: CMC critical micelle concentration, DRS dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, EDL electrical double layer     

Kinetics and mechanism of intramolecular general base-catalyzed alkanolysis of phenyl salicylate in the presence of anionic micelles

The alkanolysis of ionized phenyl salicylate, PS^?, has been studied in the presence and absence of micelles of sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS, at 0.05 M NaOH, 30 or 32°C and within the alkanol, ROH, (ROH = HOCH₂CH₂OH and CH₃OH) contents of 15–74 or 92%, v/v. The alkanolysis of PS^? involves intramolecular general base catalysis. At a constant concentration of SDS, [SDS]_T, the observed pseudo first-order rate constants, k_obs, for the reactions of ROH with PS^? obtained at different concentration of ROH, [ROH]_T, obey the relationship: k_obs = k[ROH]_T/(1 + K_A[ROH]_T) where k is the apparent second-order rate constant and K_A is the association constant for dimerization of ROH molecules. Both k and K_A decrease with increase in [SDS]_T. At a constant [ROH]_T, the rate constants, k_obs, show a decrease of nearly 2-fold with increase in [SDS]_T from 0.0–0.3M. These results are explained in terms of pseudo-phase model of micelle. The rate constants for alkanolysis of PS^? in micellar pseudophase are insignificant compared with the corresponding rate constants in aqueous-alkanol pseudophase. This is attributed largely to considerably low value of [ROH] in the specific micellar environment where micellar bound PS^? molecules exist. The increase in [ROH]_T decrease the value of the binding constant of PS^? with SDS micelle. The effects of anionic micelles on the rates of alkanolysis of PS^? are explained in terms of the porous cluster micellar structure.     

Distribution of the methyl radical adduct of N‐benzylidene‐1‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐1‐methylethylamine N‐oxide‐type nitrones in water–sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles: an electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping study

The behavior of the methyl radical adduct of six β‐phosphorylated nitrones in the N‐benzylidene‐1‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐1‐methylethylamine N‐oxide series in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles was followed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Except when the highly hydrophilic trap 4‐PyOPN (2) was used, all the adducts were found to partition significantly between micelles and the bulk aqueous phase. The average correlation time τ of the exchange of spin adducts between SDS micelles and water was found to be in the range 5 × 10^?8—4 × 10^?7 s, which is in the region of the life time of an SDS monomer in the micelle structure. In each case, the adduct affinity for the micelles has been quantified by evaluating its micelle–water distribution coefficient K_d. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of Partitioning and Solubilization of Some New Chalcones Between Aqueous and Micellar Phases

The partitioning behavior of four newly synthesized chalcones between aqueous and micellar phases of ionic surfactants (SDS and CTAB) was investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The simple absorption spectra were recorded to study the interaction between these drugs and surfactants (in the concentration range below critical micelle concentration to above critical micelle concentration). The absorption data is also used to determine the number of additive molecules incorporated per micelle of the surfactant. The partition coefficient (K_x) of additives between bulk water phase and the micellar phase was determined in the range of 5.52 × 10⁺⁴ to 5.06 × 10⁺⁵ at 298 K by differential spectroscopic method. The corresponding standard free energy of partition ΔG°_p obtained was in the range of ?27.05 kJmol^?1 to ?32.54 kJmol^?1. The relative solubility of additives between aqueous and micellar phases in different micellar concentrations was also estimated. The results showed that the chalcones are preferably soluble in cationic surfactant micelles.     

Molecular dynamics study of solubilization of cyclohexane,benzene, and phenol into mixed micelles composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate and octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether

Molecular dynamics calculations of a mixed micelle composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₈) were performed for six compositions (SDS/C₁₂E₈ = 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, and 0/100) to investigate the composition dependence of the mixed micelle structure and solubilization of cyclohexane, benzene, and phenol molecules by the micelle. The radial density distribution of the hydrophilic polyoxyethylene (POE) group of C₁₂E₈ as a function of distance from the micelle center is very sharp for micelles with high SDS content because the POE group captures a Na⁺ ion in solution and wraps around it to form a compact crown-ether-like complex. The hydrophobic dodecyl groups of SDS and C₁₂E₈ were separately distributed in the mixed micelle core. ΔG(r) evaluated for each solute showed that despite the structural changes of the micelle the binding strength of the solute molecules to the micelle did not change significantly. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synergistic behavior of sodiumdodecylsulfate and 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine in an aqueous medium: interfacial and bulk behavior

The synergistic behavior of sodiumdodecylsulfate (SDS) and 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC) binary mixtures has been studied with interfacial and pyrene fluorescence(I ₁/ I ₃) intensity measurements. From the interfacial data, the interfacial parameters; the maximum surface excess (Γ_max), or the minimum area per molecule (A _min), and the surface pressure at the critical micellar concentration (π_cmc) have been evaluated. The cmc value has been used for evaluating the free energies of micellization (ΔG ^o _m). The mixed micelle formation was evaluated with the help of the Clint equation. The SDS plus DHPC mixed micelles showed negative departure from ideality indicating synergistic interactions between the unlike components. The quantitative analysis of mixed micelle, mixed monolayer and the composition of the mixed micelle was carried out with the help of regular solution approximation. The interaction parameters, β and β^σ, in the mixed micelle as well as in the mixed monolayer, respectively showed negative values indicating synergistic behavior of SDS and DHPC molecules.     

The effect of the nature of the surfactant on the location of 6-R-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinolines in micelles

The locus of solubilization of 6-R-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline molecules (R=Me, OEt) in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) has been determined by comparing the UV spectra of micellar solutions of the dihydroquinolines and their solutions in solvents of various polarities. The parameterR _pv (defined as the ratio of the absorbance of the long-wave band maximum to that at the adjacent valley) decreases with an increase in the solvent polarity in the order:n-heptane > 2-propanol > ethanol > H₂O. In SDS micellar solutions,R _pv is close to the corresponding value in water and does not depend on [SDS]. In CTAB micellar solutions,R _pv is essentially greater than in water and increases with [CTAB]. Thus, the solubilized dihydroquinoline molecules in SDS micelles reside in the Stern layer, and in CTAB micelles they are located both in the interior of the micelle and in the Stern layer; in this case the micelle packing begins from the core.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 948–950, May, 1994.     

Interaction of slightly cross-linked gels of poly(diallyldimethylammonium bromide) with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Diffusion of surfactant ions in gel

The dynamics of the changing microenvironment of the fluorescent probe pyrene in slightly cross-linked networks of poly(diallyldimethylmmonium bromide) during diffusion of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the gel phase has been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Values of the spectral ratio I₃/I₁ for pyrene monomer included in SDS micelles in the swollen networks fall between the corresponding values for pyrene in water and for pyrene dissolved in SDS micelles in aqueous solution. In the narrow interval of the surfactant concentrations in the gel phase, the formation of pyrene excimers is observed. The values of the critical micelle concentration in the gel phase (ca. 5 × 10^?4 to 8 × 10^?4 mol/L) are tenfold lower than in aqueous solutions of the surfactant. The effective micellar diffusion coeffecient D in the gel phase increases with increasing swelling of the network. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Micellar Effects on the Reaction between an Arenediazonium Ion and the Antioxidants Gallic Acid and Octyl Gallate

The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles on the reaction between the 3‐methylbenzenediazonium (3MBD) ion and either the hydrophilic antioxidant gallic acid (GA) or the hydrophobic analogue octyl gallate (OG) have been investigated as a function of pH. Titration of GA in the absence and presence of SDS micelles showed that the micelles do not alter the first ionization equilibrium of GA. Analysis of the dependence of the observed rate constant (k_obs) with pH shows that the reactive species are GA^2? and OG^?. Kinetics results in the absence and presence of SDS micelles suggest that SDS aggregates do not alter the expected reaction pathway. SDS Micelles inhibit the spontaneous decomposition of 3MBD as well as the reaction between 3MBD and either GA or OG, and upon increasing the SDS concentration, with k_obs approaching the value for the thermal decomposition of 3MBD in the presence of SDS. Our results are consistent with the prediction of the pseudophase model and show that the origin of the inhibition for the reaction with GA is different to that for the reaction with OG; in the former case, the observed inhibition can be rationalized in terms of the micelle‐induced electrostatic separation of reactants in the micellar Stern layer, whereas the observed inhibition in the reaction with OG is a consequence of the dilution effect caused by increasing SDS concentration, decreasing the local OG^? concentration in the Stern layer.     

Spectral,kinetic, and redox properties of basic fuchsin in homogeneous aqueous and sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar media

Effect of anionic surfactant on the optical absorption spectra and redox reaction of basic fuchsin, a cationic dye, has been studied. Increase in the absorbance of the dye band at 546 nm with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is assigned to the incorporation of the dye in the surfactant micelles with critical micellar concentration (CMC) of 7.3 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3. At low surfactant concentration (<5 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3) decrease in the absorbance of the dye band at 546 nm is attributed to the formation of a dye–surfactant complex (1:1). The environment, in terms of dielectric constant, experienced by basic fuchsin inside the surfactant micelles has been estimated. The association constant (K_A) for the formation of dye–SDS complex and the binding constant (K_B) for the micellization of dye are determined. Stopped‐flow studies, in the premicellar region, indicated simultaneous depletion of dye absorption and formation of new band at 490 nm with a distinct isosbestic point at 520 nm and the rate constant for this region increased with increasing SDS concentration. The reaction of hydrated electron with the dye and the decay of the semireduced dye are observed to be slowed down in the presence of SDS. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 629–636, 2003     

十二烷基硫酸钠水溶液的动态表面吸附性质

利用MPTC型气泡压力张仪研究了十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)溶液在不同NaCl 浓度下的动态表面吸附性质, 分析了离子型表面活性剂在表面吸附层和胶束中形成双电层结构产生表面电荷对动态表面扩散过程和胶束性质的影响. 结果表明, SDS在表面吸附过程中, 表面电荷的存在会产生5.5 kJ·mol^-1的吸附势垒(E_a), 显著降低十二烷基硫酸根离子(DS^-)的有效扩散系数(D_eff). 十二烷基硫酸根离子的有效扩散系数与自扩散系数(D)的比值(D_eff/D)仅为0.013, 这表明SDS与非离子型表面活性剂不同, 在吸附初期为混合动力控制吸附机制. 加入NaCl可以降低吸附势垒. 当加入不小于80 mmol·L^-1 NaCl后, E_a小于0.3 kJ·mol^-1, D_eff/D在0.8-1.2之间, 表现出与非离子型表面活性剂相同的扩散控制吸附机制. 同时, 通过分析SDS胶束溶液的动态表面张力获得了表征胶束解体速度的常数(k₂). 发现随着NaCl 浓度的增大, k₂减小, 表明SDS胶束表面电荷的存在会增加十二烷基硫酸根离子间的排斥力, 促进胶束解体.     

Kinetics of the heterogeneous electron transfer reaction of triplet pyrene in micelles to Br2− radicals in aqueous solution

A combined flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis experiment was carried out to produce triplet pyrene (P) molecules in micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and Br₂^? in the surrounding aqueous medium. The reaction ³P_mic + Br → P + 2 Br^? was followed by optical absorption measurements in the 10^?8?10^?4–sec range. This reaction possesses a “fast” and a “slow” component with respective rate constants of 2.3 × 10⁶ sec^?1 and 1 × 10⁹M^?1 · sec^?1. The fast component is related to the probability of a Br₂^? radical meeting a triplet pyrene containing micelle on the first encounter (only 16% of the micelles contained a triplet molecule). Reactions involving more than one Br₂^? radical–micelle encounter are ascribed to the slow component. The presence of two components reflects the fact that the residence time of a Br₂^? radical in the vicinity of a cationic micelle is substantially longer than the diffusion time of the radical between micelles. Thus the conditions met in micellar chemistry differ dramatically from those in ordinary solution kinetics where the encounter time is generally much shorter than the time between encounters. Some considerations on the energetics of this electron transfer reaction are also presented.     

Hydrophobic N‐Diazeniumdiolates and the Aqueous Interface of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) Micelles

Zwitterionic diazeniumdiolates of the form RN[N(O)NO^?](CH₂)₂NH₂⁺R, where R=CH₃ ( 1 ), (CH₂)₃CH₃ ( 2 ), (CH₂)₅CH₃ ( 3 ), and (CH₂)₇CH₃ ( 4 ) were synthesized by reaction of the corresponding diamines with nitric oxide. Spectrophotometrically determined pK_a(O) values, attributed to protonation at the terminal oxygen of the diazeniumdiolate group, show shifts to higher values in dependence of the chain lengths of R. The pH dependence of the decomposition of NO donors 1 – 3 was studied in buffered solution between pH 5 and 8 at 22 °C, from which pK_a(N) values for protonation at the amino nitrogen, leading to release of NO, were estimated. It is shown that the decomposition of these diazeniumdiolates is markedly catalyzed by anionic SDS micelles. First‐order rate constants for the decay of 1 – 4 were determined in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 at 22 °C as a function of SDS concentration. Micellar binding constants, K_SM, for the association of diazeniumdiolates 1 – 3 with the SDS micelles were also determined, again showing a significant increase with increasing length of the alkyl side chains. The decomposition of 1 – 3 in micellar solution is quantitatively described by using the pseudo‐phase ion‐exchange (PIE) model, in which the degree of micellar catalysis is taken into account through the ratio of the second‐order rate constants (k_2m/k_2w) for decay in the micelles and in the bulk aqueous phase. The decay kinetics of 1 – 3 were further studied in the presence of cosolvents and nonionic surfactants, but no effect on the rate of NO release was observed. The kinetic data are discussed in terms of association to the micelle–aqueous phase interface of the negatively charged micelles. The apparent interfacial pH value of SDS micelles was evaluated from comparison of the pH dependence of the first‐order decay rate constants of 2 and 3 in neat buffer and the rate data obtained for the surfactant‐mediated decay. For a bulk phase of pH 7.4, an interfacial pH of 5.7–5.8 was determined, consistent with the distribution of H⁺ in the vicinity of the negatively charged micelles. The data demonstrate the utility of 2 and 3 as probes for the determination of the apparent pH value in the Stern region of anionic micelles.     

Study of mixed micellar aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate and amino acids

Thermodynamic properties of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in micellar aqueous solutions of L-serine and L-threonine were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering techniques. The values of Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of the process of micelle formation were calculated using the critical micelle concentration and degree of dissociation. Changes in critical micelle concentration of SDS with the addition of amino acids were examined by both conductivity and pyrene I ₁/I ₃ ratio methods at different temperatures. The pyrene fluorescence spectra were used to study the change of micropolarity produced by the interaction of SDS with amino acids. The aggregation behavior of SDS was explained in terms of structural changes in mixed solutions. The data on dynamic light scattering suggest that size of SDS micelles was influenced by the presence of amino acids.     

Hydration and Ion Pairing in Aqueous Sodium Oxalate Solutions

Dielectric spectra have been measured for aqueous sodium oxalate solutions up to the saturation concentration (0.04≤c [mmol L^?1]≤0.25) at 25 °C over the approximate frequency range 0.2≤ν [GHz]≤20. The spectra exhibit a process at about 1 GHz associated with the presence of ion pairs, in addition to the dominant solvent relaxation process at about 18 GHz. Detailed analysis of the solvent dispersion amplitude indicates that the oxalate ion is highly hydrated but that its solvation sheath is “fragile”, decreasing quickly with increasing solute concentration. The NaOx(aq)^? ion pair is shown to be of the double‐solvent‐separated (2SIP) type, with an infinite dilution association constant K_A=1.04±0.02. Analysis of the ion‐pair relaxation time as a function of solute concentration gave rate constants for the formation (k₁₂=(7.3±0.4)10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1) and dissociation (k₂₁=(6.7±0.5)10⁸ s^?1) of the ion pair. These values are reasonably close to the diffusion‐controlled values predicted by the Eigen theory, consistent with a 2SIP structure for the ion pair.     

Long-chain alkyl sulfonate micelle fission: a molecular dynamics study

In this study, we investigate micelle fission of long-chain alkyl sulfonate molecules using atomistic scale simulation. GROMACS software code with the united atom force field was applied. 0.5-μs parallel molecular dynamics simulation study was conducted for a surfactant/water system consisting of 192 sodium pentadecyl sulfonate and 40,553 water molecules. The large preassembled micelle was ruptured at Krafft above T?=?323-K temperature, and we track two ellipsoid-like micelles over the course of the production run. To estimate the micelle shape, we determined the principal moments of inertia and the eccentricity, which proved that the micelles have a pronounced prolate spheroid shape, which agrees well with our previous experimental data. The mechanism of micelle fission was explored in detail. The aggregation number, ionization degree, and other parameters obtained from simulation were consistent with existing experimental finding. The determined parameters in addition to simple visual inspection of trajectories revealed monomer-micelle exchange—with the estimated relaxation time τ ₁?=?10^??9s. We assume that the exchange process is conditioned by the unequal size of micelles leading to adjustment of aggregation number.     

A Femtosecond Study of Solvation Dynamics and Anisotropy Decay in a Catanionic Vesicle: Excitation‐Wavelength Dependence

The structure and dynamics of a catanionic vesicle are studied by means of femtosecond up‐conversion and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The catanionic vesicle is composed of dodecyl‐trimethyl‐ammonium bromide (DTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The DLS data suggest that 90 % of the vesicles have a diameter of about 400 nm, whereas the diameter of the other 10 % is about 50 nm. The dynamics in the catanionic vesicle are compared with those in pure SDS and DTAB micelles. We also study the dynamics in different regions of the micelle/vesicle by varying the excitation wavelength (λ_ex) from 375 to 435 nm. The catanionic vesicle is found to be more heterogeneous than the SDS or DTAB micelles, and hence, the λ_ex‐dependent variation of the solvation dynamics is more prominent in the first case. The solvation dynamics in the vesicle and the micelles display an ultraslow component (2 and 300 ps, respectively), which arises from the quasibound, confined water inside the micelle, and an ultrafast component (<0.3 ps), which is due to quasifree water at the surface/exposed region. With an increase in λ_ex, the solvation dynamics become faster. This is manifested in a decrease in the total dynamic solvent shift and an increase in the contribution of the ultrafast component (<0.3 ps). At a long λ_ex (435 nm), the surface (exposed region) of a micelle/vesicle is probed, where the solvation dynamics of the water molecules are faster than those in a buried location of the vesicle and the micelles. The time constant of anisotropy decay becomes longer with increasing λ_ex, in both the catanionic vesicle and the ordinary micelles (SDS and DTAB). The slow rotational dynamics (anisotropy decay) in the polar region (at long λ_ex) may be due to the presence of ionic head groups and counter ions.     

Effects of Cs and Na ions on the interfacial properties of dodecyl sulfate solutions

The competitive binding of counterions to anionic dodecyl sulfate ions in aqueous solutions of cesium dodecyl sulfate (CsDS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) mixtures, which significantly influences the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and surface (or interfacial) tension of surfactant solutions, was investigated. The cmc and degree of counterion binding were obtained through electrical conductivity measurements. The curve of cmc versus the mole fraction of CsDS in the surfactant mixture was simulated by Rubingh's equations, which enabled us to estimate the interaction parameter in micelles (W _R) based on the regular solution approximation. The curve-fitting exhibited a slightly negative value (W _R=−0.1), indicating that the mixing (SDS+CsDS) enhances micelle formation owing to a greater interaction between surfactant molecules and counterions than in pure systems (SDS). On going from SDS, SDS:CsDS(75:25), SDS:CsDS(50:50), SDS:CsDS(25:75) to CsDS, interfacial tension at the hexadecane/surfactant-solution interface showed a negative deviation from the mixing rule (interaction parameter in adsorbed film W _A=−0.38), indicating the replacement of Na⁺ bound to anionic dodecyl sulfate by Cs⁺ ions owing to the stronger interaction between the Cs⁺ and the dodecyl sulfate ions. Droplet sizes of emulsion formed with hexadecane and aqueous dodecyl sulfate solutions were investigated using the light scattering spectrophotometer. The higher binding capacity of Cs⁺, having a smaller hydrated ionic size than Na⁺, also resulted in a negative deviation in emulsion droplet size in mixed systems. Received: 10 May 2000/Accepted: 11 August 2000     

Solute exchange between surfactant micelles by micelle fragmentation and fusion

Stopped-flow time-scan experiments on both Triton X-100 (TX100) micelle and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles, with the pyrene-containing triglyceride 1 as a probe, establish that there are two distinct solute exchange mechanisms with rates on the time scale of milliseconds to minutes. One process exhibits second order kinetics with a rate proportional to the concentration of empty micelles. For TX100 micelles, this process is rapid (k₂≈10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 24.6°C) and is characterized by an activation energy of 160 kJ mol⁻¹. From the fact that this rate is nearly independent of the structure of the probe we infer that the exchange involves micelle fusion to form a short-lived super-micelle, followed by fragmentation to form two normal (or ‘proper’) micelles. The rate of the first-order process decreases as the size of the probe increases (1-octylpyrene>1-dodecylpyrene>1). For SDS, both rates are very sensitive to the salt (NaCl) concentration. All indications point to this exchange process involving rate-limiting fragmentation of the micelle into two sub-micelles, these in turn grow back to normal micelles by addition of surfactant monomers or by collision with other sub-micelles. We explain the dependence of this rate on the nature of the probe by suggesting that only sub-micelles of a certain size are capable of carrying the probe with them as they separate from the original micelle.