Conductometric and fluorometric investigations on the mixed micellar systems of cationic surfactants in aqueous media

Micellar properties of binary mixtures of hexadecyldiethylethanolammonium bromide surfactant with tetradecyldimethylammonium, trimethylammonium, triphenylphosphonium, diethylethanolammonium, and pyridinium bromide surfactants have been characterized employing conductometric and fluorescence techniques. The critical micelle concentration (cmc*) and the degree of counter-ion binding values (delta) of the binary systems were determined from the conductivity measurements. The results were analyzed in light of various existing theories to calculate micellar composition, activity coefficients, and the interaction parameter (beta). Partial contribution of each surfactant, cmc1*, cmc2*, to the overall cmc* value was also evaluated. Aggregation numbers and micropolarity of the mixed micelles were determined from fluorescence measurements. The results were discussed in terms of synergetic interactions in these systems on the basis of the head group/head group and tail/tail interactions and the counter-ion binding.     

Head-group-induced structural micellar transitions in mixed cationic surfactants with identical hydrophobic tails

The mixed micelle formation by hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB), hexadecylpyridinium bromide (HPyBr), and hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HPyCl) with benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BHDACl) was studied with the help of conductivity, 3, and viscometric measurements. Each 3 curve for HTAB, HPyBr, and HPyCl showed a single break, whereas double breaks were observed in the case of BHDACl and its binary mixtures with HTAB, HPyBr, and HPyCl. The first break, c_1,M, was due to mixed-micelle formation, whereas the second one, c_2,M, was due to the structural micellar transitions in the mixed micelles formed during the first break. The quantitative analysis of the mixed-micelle formation corresponding to the first break was carried out with the help of regular solution and Motomura's approximations. The BHDACl plus HTAB and BHDACl plus HPyBr mixtures showed weak synergistic interactions, whereas the BHDACl plus HPyCl mixture was close to ideal. A variation in the degree of dissociation corresponding to the first and second breaks demonstrated a similar variation over the whole mixing range and this was attributed to the identical nature of synergism in both kinds of micellar aggregates available at c_1,M, and c_2,M. They were rich in BHDACl over most of the mole fraction range. Unlike conductivity measurements, the relative viscosity demonstrated that the micellization of HTAB, HPyBr, and HPyCl proceeded through a minimum, whereas that for BHDACl and its mixtures showed a strong maximum in each case, being stronger in the case of the BHDACl plus HTAB and BHDACl plus HPyCl mixtures.     

Liquid properties of oligomers. Comparison of relaxational properties of propylene glycol oligomers with those of ethylene glycol oligomers

Liquid properties such as dielectric relaxation and viscous flow of the two structurally homologous propylene glycol oligomers HO(CH(CH₃)CH₂O)_nH (n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 34) and ethylene glycol oligomers HO(C₂H₄O)_nH (n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) are studied in pure liquid state to clarify the degree of polymerization dependences of chain molecules on their liquid properties. These oligomers are, at room temperature, viscous liquid which shows dielectric relaxations in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 3 MHz. Propylene glycol oligomers (n=from 1 to 5) show the Davidson-Cole-type relaxations, but the higher glycol (n=34) shows superposition of the two different relaxations, i. e., small Debye-type relaxation in the lower-frequency region and large principal Havriliak-Negami-type relaxation in the higher-frequency region. Relaxation times vs. degree of polymerization do not increase linearly, but vary in zigzag lines. Above all, the dimers (dipropylene glycol and diethylene glycol) show longer relaxation times than the other glycols. This dielectric result does not agree with the degree of polymerization dependence of viscous flow.     

A cationic fluorocarbon surfactant DEFUMACl and its mixed systems with cationic surfactants: 19F NMR and surface tension study

A cationic fluorocarbon surfactant system of diethanolheptadecafluoro-2-undecanolmethylammonium chloride (DEFUMACl) and both mixed systems of DEFUMACl/cationic dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTACl) and DEFUMACl/cationic Gemini copolymer was investigated by 19F NMR spectroscopy and surface tension measurements. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) of DEFUMACl by 19F NMR is about 3.40 mmol/L, which is completely consistent with that obtained by the surface tension method. The studies of salt and temperature on the cmc values of DEFUMACl suggest that both salt addition and temperature increase decrease the cmc values of DEFUMACl. 19F NMR measurements provide much richer information on both mixed systems. For the DEFUMACl-DTACl system, two break points were observed with increased total surfactant concentration. The first break point means the DEFUMACl and DTACl mixed micelles and the second one implies the individual DEFUMACl micelles. Results of 19F NMR and surface tension measurements for DEFUMACl/cationic Gemini copolymer mixtures show three peculiar break points, corresponding to the critical association concentration (cac) of DEFUMACl, the concentration where cationic Gemini copolymer molecules become saturated by DEFUMACl micelles, and the concentration where DEFUMACl micelles and cationic Gemini copolymer coexist. These peculiar points in the cationic-fluorocarbon and cationic-copolymer systems were first reported by 19F NMR and surface tension measurements. These results should broaden the useful information for a better understanding of the mechanism of interaction and the behavior of surfactant-polymer mixtures.     

Dynamics of propylene glycol and its oligomers confined to a single molecular layer

The dynamics of propylene glycol (PG) and its oligomers 7-PG and poly-propylene glycol (PPG), with M(w) = 4000 (approximately 70 monomers), confined in a Na-vermiculite clay have been investigated by quasielastic neutron scattering. The liquids are confined to single molecular layers between clay platelets, giving a true two-dimensional liquid. Data from three different spectrometers of different resolutions were Fourier transformed to S(Q,t) and combined to give an extended dynamical time range of 0.3-2000 ps. An attempt was made to distinguish the diffusive motion from the methyl group rotation and a fast local motion of hydrogen in the polymer backbone. The results show that the average relaxation time tau(d) of this diffusive process is, as expected, larger than the relaxation time tau averaged over all dynamical processes observed in the experimental time window. More interesting, it is evident that the severe confinement has a relatively small effect on tau(d) at T = 300 K, this holds particularly for the longest oligomer, PPG. The most significant difference is that the chain-length dependence of tau(d) is weaker for the confined liquids, although the slowing down in bulk PG due to the formation of a three-dimensional network of OH-bonded end groups reduces this difference. The estimated average relaxation time tau at Q = 0.92 Angstroms(-1) for all the observed processes is in excellent agreement with the previously reported dielectric alpha relaxation time in the studied temperature range of 260-380 K. The average relaxation time tau (as well as the dielectric alpha relaxation time) is also almost unaffected by the confinement to a single molecular layer, suggesting that the interaction with the clay surfaces is weak and that the reduced dimensionality has only a weak influence on the time scale of all the dynamical processes observed in this study.     

Crystallization from the micellar phase of imidazolium-based cationic surfactants

The self-assembly and phase behavior of the aqueous dispersions consisting of the cationic surfactant, 1-hexadecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C(16)mimCl), were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, polarizing optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. We found that the crystallization of C(16)mimCl upon cooling is strongly concentration-dependent. At low concentrations (10-25 wt%), the samples change directly from a spherical micellar solution to a lamellar crystalline phase. While at high concentrations (50-67 wt%), the initial cylindrical micelles first convert to the lamellar gel phase and then to the lamellar crystalline phase. Particular efforts have been devoted to unveiling the submolecular mechanisms of the phase transition processes. The transformation from the initial micellar phase to the final crystalline phase upon cooling involves both an ordering rearrangement in the alkyl tails and a dehydrating process in the head region. At high concentrations, the transformation is divided into two steps, i.e., the gelation and subsequent crystallization processes, both involving evident rearrangements of the surfactant tails. Moreover, a significant dehydration of the surfactant head part takes place in the gelation step and a partial rehydration occurs in the crystallization step.     

Critical behavior and interfacial tension of mixtures of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol oligomers

This investigation presents an analysis of the critical behavior of mixtures of oligomers of propylene glycol, PG₁₇, and ethylene glycol, EG_n, withn=3, 4, 5, 6.4, 8.7, 12.1 and 22.1. The critical coordinates, _c andT _c were determined from the phase diagrams. The critical compositions compare very well with the Huggins-Flory predictions. The interaction parameter _n is around one for EG₃, EG₄ and EG₅ and it increases up to two for the higher oligomers. The break in the interaction parameter also corresponds to a minimum in the critical temperature. The phase diagrams and the interfacial tension were used to get the critical exponents and , respectively. The data were analysed with two approaches. First, from the temperature dependence of the length of the tie-lines and of the interfacial tension up to the upper critical solution temperature, UCST. Second, with the data at 30°C using the critical temperature of the systems as the variable. The first method led to =0.39±0.05 in good agreement with the result of the second method, =0.37±0.04. The exponents for the interfacial tension, , determined with the first method for PG₁₇ with EG_6.4, EG_8.7 and EG_12.1 are =1.66±0.11, 1.46±0.25 and 1.73±0.18, respectively. The second method led to =1.17±0.14. The critical exponents are compared to mean field and ising-3D predictions.     

Phenyl-ring-bearing cationic surfactants: effect of ring location on the micellar structure

A series of isomeric cationic surfactants (S1-S5) bearing a long alkyl chain that carries a 1,4-phenylene unit and a trimethyl ammonium headgroup was synthesized; the location of the phenyl ring within the alkyl tail was varied in an effort to understand its influence on the amphiphilic properties of the surfactants. The cmc's of the surfactants were estimated using ionic conductivity measurements and isothermal calorimetric titrations (ITC); the values obtained by the two methods were found to be in excellent agreement. The ITC measurements provided additional insight into the various thermodynamic parameters associated with the micellization process. Although all five surfactants have exactly the same molecular formula, their micellar properties were seen to vary dramatically depending on the location of the phenyl ring; the cmc was seen to decrease by almost an order of magnitude when the phenyl ring was moved from the tail end (cmc of S1 is 23 mM) to the headgroup region (cmc of S5 is 3 mM). In all cases, the enthalpy of micellization was negative but the entropy of micellization was positive, suggesting that in all of these systems the formation of micelles is both enthalpically and entropically favored. As expected, the decrease in cmc values upon moving the phenyl ring from the tail end to the headgroup region is accompanied by an increase in the thermodynamic driving force (ΔG) for micellization. To understand further the differences in the micellar structure of these surfactants, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements were carried out; these measurements reveal that the aggregation number of the micelles increases as the cmc decreases. This increase in the aggregation number is also accompanied by an increase in the asphericity of the micellar aggregate and a decrease in the fractional charge. Geometric packing arguments are presented to account for these changes in aggregation behavior as a function of phenyl ring location.     

Mixed micellar systems of cleavable surfactants

Previous studies have shown that the alkaline hydrolysis of cleavable ester surfactants is strongly affected by aggregation. The alkaline hydrolysis of the cationic species decyl betainate (DB) is strongly enhanced by micellization, whereas the nonionic species tetra(ethylene glycol)mono-n-octanoate (TEO) is virtually protected when residing in aggregates. In the present work, mixtures of DB and TEO were studied at concentrations above the critical micelle concentration, and the rate of hydrolysis of each surfactant in the presence of the other was assessed. The micellar interaction parameter (beta) was determined from the critical micelle concentrations of various mixtures of the two surfactants. The result (beta = -2.4) indicates a moderate net attraction. The hydrolysis of the surfactants was monitored using 1H NMR. It was shown that the hydrolysis of DB exhibits the main characteristics of the pseudophase ion-exchange model and that the reaction rate decreases with an increasing molar ratio of TEO. There are indications that the hydrolysis rate parallels the expected total counterion binding to the mixed micelles. The hydrolysis of TEO was not affected by the presence of DB. However, complementary experiments showed that it is possible to accelerate or retard the hydrolysis of TEO by coaggregation with stable cationic or anionic surfactants, respectively.     

Counter ion condensation on mixed cationic/nonionic micellar systems: Bjerrum's electrostatic condition

The association of counter-ions with mixed ionic/nonionic micelles has been investigated in the case of dodecyl/tetradecyl/ and hexadecyl-trimethylammonium bromide with two nonionic surfactants: dodecylpolyoxyethylene 23 and Triton X-100. The degree of association has been measured by potentiometry using a Bromide ion-selective electrode. Previous results with sodium and copper dodecylsulfate suggesting that in the nonionic-rich composition domain, bare mixed micelles are formed without associated counter-ions have been confirmed. These results are in agreement with the prediction of Bjerrum's condition for ion association. The effect of copper dodecylsulfate on the cloud point of Triton X-100 has also been determined as a means of investigating mixed micelles with multivalent counter-ions. The dramatic cloud point increase observed, even larger than with sodium dodecylsulfate, has been discussed as evidence of the solvation of divalent ions by ether groups, a factor which complicates the analysis of multivalent counterion condensation on mixed micelles.     

Effects of ethylene glycol addition on the aggregation and micellar growth of gemini surfactants

Micellization of three didodecyl dicationic dibromide gemini surfactants with different methylene spacer lengths, 12-s-12,2Br- where s = 3-5 methylene groups, has been investigated in water-ethylene glycol, EG, mixtures with weight percentages of EG up to 50%. Subsequently, effects of the addition of the organic solvent on the micellar growth of these surfactants and on the surfactant concentration range where sphere-to-rod transitions occur were studied by means of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching and spectroscopic measurements. Results show that an increase in the weight percentage of ethylene glycol added to aqueous 12-s-12,2Br- (s = 3-5) micellar solutions causes the sphere-to-rod transition to occur at higher surfactant concentrations than in pure water. The diminution in the average aggregation number, N(agg), when wt % EG increases, provoked by the decrease in the interfacial Gibbs energy contribution to DeltaG degrees M, is the main factor responsible for this observation. The decrease in N(agg) is accompanied by a decrease in the ionic interactions and the extra packing contribution to the deformation of the surfactants tails, making formation of cylindrical micelles less favorable. Besides, an increase in the solvent content and polarity of the interfacial region does not favor formation of direct ion pairs, decreasing the tendency of micelles to grow.     

Transitions of organized assemblies in mixed systems of cationic bolaamphiphile and anionic conventional surfactants

The transition from vesicles to tubelike structures has been studied in mixed systems of cationic bolaamphiphile BPHTAB [biphenyl-4,4'-bis(oxyhexamethylenetrimethylammonium bromide)] and its oppositely charged conventional surfactants with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). This transition can be attributed to the fact that tube-like structures are more stable aggregates than vesicles because of the special molecular packing in the aggregates of the mixed systems. The effects of temperature and salt addition on this transition have also been investigated, and the rate of the transition was found to be strongly dependent on temperature. Addition of the appropriate amount of NaBr will accelerate the transition from vesicles to tube-like structures, but the vesicles will transform into micelles at higher salt concentration. Moreover, the micelle-vesicle transition can be realized by addition of n-octanol in the mixed system of BPHTAB/sodium caprate (SC) at higher salt concentrations.     

Ion chromatography on reversed-phase materials coated with mixed cationic and nonionic surfactants

Columns suitable for use in anion chromatography can be prepared by coating a packed reversed-phase HPLC column (C18 silica or polystyrene particles) with a cationic surfactant. The efficiency is improved dramatically by first coating the column with a nonionic surfactant and then subsequently with the cationic surfactant. The thickness of the first coated layer as well as the chemical structure of the surfactant have a major effect on the column performance. Actual separations are included to demonstrate the convenience and practical use of the coated columns. Using this approach, columns with 12,900 theoretical plates for the 15-cm column (or 86,000 plates/m) were produced, giving well shaped peaks with an average asymmetry factor of 1.09. The coated layers were found to be stable, giving retention times with an average relative standard deviation of 1.6% for 12 consecutive runs.     

Studies of mixed micelle formation between cationic gemini and cationic conventional surfactants

Mixed micellization of dimeric cationic surfactants tetramethylene-1,4-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide)(16-4-16), hexamethylene-1,6-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide) (16-6-16) with monomeric cationic surfactants hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) have been studied by conductivity and steady-state fluorescence quenching techniques. The behavior of mixed systems, their compositions, and activities of the components have been analyzed in the light of Rubingh's regular solution theory. The results indicate synergism in the binary mixtures. Ideal and experimental critical micelle concentrations (i.e., cmc(*) and cmc) show nonideality, which is confirmed by beta values and activity coefficients. The micelle aggregation numbers (N(agg)), evaluated using steady-state fluorescence quenching at a total concentration of 2 mM for CTAB/16-4-16 or 16-6-16 and 5 mM for TTAB/16-4-16 or 16-6-16 systems, indicate that the contribution of conventional surfactants was always more than that of the geminis. The micropolarity, dielectric constant and binding constants (K(sv)) of mixed systems have also been evaluated from the ratios of respective peak intensities (I(1)/I(3) or I(0)/I(1)).     

Titrations of sulphonamides in cationic micellar systems

A titrimetric determination of some sulphonamides with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide in the presence of hexadecylpyridinium chloride is described. Potentiometric titrations are slow; visual titrations are satisfactory. The pK_a shift can be interpreted in the light of general micellar behaviour.     

Photolysis of 1,2-dihydroquinolines in micellar solutions of anionic and cationic surfactants

The kinetics of the photolysis of substituted 1,2-dihydroquinolines (DHQ) in micellar solutions was studied by steady-state and flash photolysis. The photolysis mechanism depends dramatically on the location of DHQ molecules in micelles, which is governed by the surfactant nature. In micellar solutions of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), where the DHQ molecules are located in the Stern layer, the intermediate species decay kinetics follows a first-order law. When DHQ is in neutral form (pH 4–12), the rate constant of the intermediate carbocation decay increases from 25 to 198 s^?1 with an increasing concentration of DHQ in micelles. The positive micellar catalysis is caused by the acceleration of the final product formation with the DHQ molecule via proton abstraction from the intermediate cation. The formation of several types of intermediate species—carbocations in the aqueous phase and aminyl radicals in micelles—is observed in micellar solutions of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) due to the preferential location of DHQ molecules in the micellar core. The carbocation decays via a pseudofirst-order reaction with a rate constant close to that in the aqueous solution. The lifetime of the DHQ aminyl radicals in the micellar solutions is longer by several orders of magnitude than the lifetime observed for homogeneous solutions of hydrocarbons and alcohols.     

Supramolecular systems based on cationic surfactants and amphiphilic macrocycles

The effect of the structure of mono- and dicationic surfactants and amphiphilic calixarenes on their aggregation properties, aggregate morphology, and catalytic activity in reactions of nucleophilic substitution in esters is analyzed.     

Adsorption and micellar properties of a mixed system of nonionic-nonionic surfactants

We study the surface adsorption and bulk micellization of a mixed system of two nonionic surfactants, namely, ethylene glycol mono-n-dodecyl ether (C12E1) and tetraethylene glycol mono-n-tetradecyl ether (C14E4), at different mixing ratios at 15 degrees C. The pure C14E4 monolayer cannot show any indicative features of phase transition because of both hydration-induced and dipolar repulsive interactions between the bulky head groups. On the other hand, the monolayers of pure C12E1 and its mixture with C14E4 undergo a first-order phase transition, showing a variety of surface patterns in the coexistence region between the liquid expanded (LE) and liquid condensed (LC) phases under the same experimental conditions. For pure C12E1, the domains are of a fingering pattern while those for the C12E1/C14E4 mixed system are found to be compact circular and small irregular structures at 2:1 and 1:1 molar ratios, respectively. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) values of both the pure and the mixed systems were measured to understand the micellar behavior of the surfactants in the mixture. The cmc values of the mixed system were also calculated assuming ideal behavior of the surfactants in the mixture. The experimental and calculated values are found to be very close to each other, suggesting an almost ideal nature of mixing. The interaction parameters for mixed monolayer and micelle formation were calculated to understand the mutual behavior of the surfactants in the mixture. It is observed that the interaction parameters for mixed monolayer formation are more negative than those of micelle formation, indicating a stronger interaction between the surfactants during monolayer formation. It is concluded that since both the surfactants bear EO units in their head groups, structural parity and hydrogen bonding between the surfactants allow them to be closely packed during monolayer and micelle formation.     

Magnetic effects in hydroperoxide decomposition in mixed micelles with cationic surfactants

The retardation effect of oxygen and external magnetic field on the yield of radicals in hydroperoxide decomposition in catalytic nanoreactors was discovered. Mixed reverse micelles formed by the cationic surfactants (Surf) and hydroperoxide {mLOOH...nSurf} play the role of nanoreactors. Similar effects of oxygen and external magnetic field (60–150 mT) on the yield of radicals are observed in the catalytic decomposition of hydroperoxide in the presence of acetylcholine. It is noteworthy that the retardation effect of the magnetic field decreases in the presence of paramagnetic particles such as oxygen and relatively stable radicals.