Standard partial molar volumes of alcohols in aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide solutions

Density measurements of water-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)-alcohol ternary systems as a function of alcohol and surfactant concentrations were carried out at 25°C. The alcohols were propanol (PrOH), 2-propanol (2-PrOH) and hexanol (HexOH). The apparent molar volume V_,R of alcohols have been calculated and the standard (infinite dilution) partial molar volumes of alcohols V_R at each surfactant concentration were obtained by means of a least squares fit of V_,R vs. the alcohol concentration. The V_R vs. surfactant concentration curves have been rationalized in terms of the partial molar volume of alcohol in the aqueous V_f and the micellar V_b phases and the distribution constant of alcohol between the aqueous and the micellar phases K. The V_b values for PrOH and HexOH together with those of butanol and pentanol previously reported satisfy the additivity rule giving a methylene group contribution of 16.7 cm³-mol^–1 which is identical to that reported in the literature from the study of pure liquid alcohols. No difference between V_b for PrOH and 2-PrOH has been found. From density data of water-alcohol and water-surfactant binary systems and of water-surfactant-alcohol ternary system, the apparent molar volume of the surfactant in the water-alcohol mixed solvent V_,S have been calculated as a function of the surfactant concentration and of the mixed solvent composition. The effect of the alkyl chain length of the alcohols and the effect of isomerization of the alcohols on the V_,S vs. surfactant concentration trends have been analyzed.