Micellar structure in gemini nonionic surfactants from small-angle neutron scattering

The size and shape of micelles formed by dimeric polyoxyethylene (nonionic gemini) surfactants having the structure (Cn-2H2n-3CHCH2(OCH2CH2)mOH)2(CH2)6 with alkyl and ethoxy chain lengths ranging from n = 12-20 and m = 5-30 have been determined using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The surfactants are polydisperse in the hydrophilic groups but otherwise analogous to the widely studied monomeric poly(oxyethylene) alkanols. We find that longer ethoxylated chains are needed to confer solubility on the gemini surfactants and that these chains in the hydrophilic corona around the alkyl core of the micelles are reasonably well described as a homogeneous random coil in a good solvent. Spherical micelles are formed by the surfactants with the longest ethoxylated chains. Shorter chains lead first to rods and ultimately a vesicle dispersion. These solutions exhibit conventional cloud point behavior, and on warming, a sphere to rod transition can be observed. For the n = 20 and m = 15 surfactant, this shape transition is accompanied by a striking increase in viscosity at low concentration and gelation at higher concentrations.     

Phase behavior of polyglycerol didodecanoates in water

A phase diagram of a water-polyglyceryl didodecanoate ((C11)2Gn) system was constructed as a function of polyglycerol chain length (n) at 25 degrees C. The average number of dodecanoic acid residues attached to polyglycerol is in the range of 1.6-2.3, and unlike commercial long-chain polyglycerol surfactants, unreacted polyglycerols were removed in the surfactants used. With an increase in the polyglycerol chain, the surfactant changes from lipophilic to hydrophilic, and the type of self-organized structure also changes from lamellar liquid crystals to the aqueous micellar solution phase via hexagonal liquid crystals. However, a discontinuous micellar cubic phase does not appear in the phase diagram, while it is formed in a long poly(oxyethylene)-chain nonionic surfactant system. In a dilute region, a cloud point is observed at a moderate polyglycerol chain length, n approximate to 7. The cloud temperature is dramatically increased with a slight increase in hydrophilic chain because the dehydration of the hydrophilic chain length at high temperature is low compared with that of the poly(oxyethylene) chain. In other words, the phase behavior of (C11)2Gn is not very temperature sensitive. Three-phase microemulsion is formed in a water/(C11)2.3G7.3/m-xylene system. The three-phase temperature or HLB temperature is highly dependent on the polyglycerol chain length.     

Optimum tail length of fluorinated double-tail anionic surfactant for water/supercritical CO2 microemulsion formation

The effect of surfactant tail structure on the stability of a water/supercritical CO2 microemulsion (W/scCO2 muE) was examined for various fluorinated double-tail anionic surfactants of different fluorocarbon chain lengths, F(CF2)n (n = 4, 6, 8, and 10), and oxyethylene spacer lengths, (CH2CH2O)(m/2) (m = 2 and 4). The phase behavior of the water/surfactant/CO2 systems was studied over a wide range of CO2 densities from 0.70 to 0.85 g/cm(3) (temperatures from 35 to 75 degrees C and pressures up to 500 bar) and corrected water-to-surfactant molar ratios (W0c). All of the surfactants yielded a W/scCO2 muE phase, that is, a transparent homogeneous phase with a water content larger than that permitted by the solubility of water in pure CO2. With increasing W0c, a phase transition occurred from the muE phase to a macroemulsion or a lamella-like liquid crystal phase. The maximum W0c value was obtained at a tail length of 12-14 A, indicating the presence of an optimum surfactant tail length for W/scCO2 muE formation.     

Phase behavior of a mixture of poly(isoprene)-poly(oxyethylene) diblock copolymer and poly(oxyethylene) surfactant in water

The phase behavior of a mixture of poly(isoprene)-poly(oxyethylene) diblock copolymer (PI-PEO or C250EO70) and poly(oxyethylene) surfactant (C12EO3, C12EO5, C12EO6, C12EO7, and C12EO9) in water was investigated by phase study, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The copolymer is not soluble in surfactant micellar cubic (I1), hexagonal (H1), and lamellar (Lalpha) liquid crystals, whereas an isotropic copolymer fluid phase coexists with these liquid crystals. Although the PI-PEO is relatively lipophilic, it increases the cloud temperatures of C12EO3-9 aqueous solutions at a relatively high PI-PEO content in the mixture. Most probably, in the copolymer-rich region, PI-PEO and C12EOn form a spherical composite micelle in which surfactant molecules are located at the interface and the PI chains form an oil pool inside. In the C12EO5/ and C12EO6/PI-PEO systems, one kind of micelles is produced in the wide range of mixing fraction, although macroscopic phase separation was observed within a few days after the sample preparation. On the other hand, small surfactant micelles coexist with copolymer giant micelles in C12EO7/ and C12EO9/PI-PEO aqueous solutions in the surfactant-rich region. The micellar shape and size are calculated using simple geometrical relations and compared with DLS data. Consequently, a large PI-PEO molecule is not soluble in surfactant bilayers (Lalpha phase), infinitely long rod micelles (H1 phase), and spherical micelles (I1 phase or hydrophilic spherical micelles) as a result of the packing constraint of the large PI chain. However, the copolymer is soluble in surfactant rod micelles (C12EO5 and C12EO6) because a rod-sphere transition of the surfactant micelles takes place and the long PI chains are incorporated inside the large spherical micelles.     

Effect of added poly(oxyethylene)dodecyl ether on the phase and rheological behavior of wormlike micelles in aqueous SDS solutions

Upon the addition of a short EO chain nonionic surfactant, poly(oxyethylene) dodecyl ether (C12EOn), to dilute micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) above a particular concentration, a sharp increase in viscosity occurs and a highly viscoelastic micellar solution is formed. The oscillatory-shear rheological behavior of the viscoselastic solutions can be described by the Maxwell model at low shear frequency and combined Maxwell-Rouse model at high shear frequency. This property is typical of wormlike micelles entangled to form a transient network. It is found that when C12EO4 in the mixed system is replaced by C12EO3 the micellar growth occurs more effectively. However, with the further decrease in EO chain length, phase separation occurs before a viscoelastic solution is formed. As a result, the maximum zero-shear viscosity is observed at an appropriate mixing fraction of surfactant in the SDS-C12EO3 system. We also investigated the micellar growth in the mixed surfactant systems by means of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). It was found from the SAXS data that the one-dimensional growth of micelles was obtained in all the SDS-C12EOn (n=0-4) aqueous solutions. In a short EO chain C12EOn system, the micelles grow faster at a low mixing fraction of nonionic surfactant.     

Fading phenomena of azo oil dye in anionic-nonionic surfactant solutions II. Effects of alkyl and/or oxyethylene groups in nonionic surfactant on the fading rate

The effects of alkyl and/or oxyethylene groups in a nonionic surfactant on the fading phenomena of 4-phenylazo-1-naphthol (4-OH), which occur in aqueous solutions of anionic-nonionic surfactant systems, are described; these systems are sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) — alkyl poly(oxyethylene) ethers (C_mPOE_n, m=12,14,16, and 18 at n=20; n=10, 20, 30, and 40 at m=16). The fading phenomenon is observed when 4-OH is added to the anionic-nonionic mixed surfactant solutions at a molar ratio of 11. A singlet oxygen, which is caused by the hydrophilic-hydrophilic interaction between two surfactants, is thought to attack the tautomer of 4-OH. The fading rate of 4-OH accelerates with increasing alkyl chain length or with decreasing oxyethylene chain length in the nonionic surfactant molecule. The effect on the fading behavior of 4-OH would be larger for a system which can easily form a mixed micelle than for a system in which two kinds of micelles coexist.     

Spectrophotometric studies of anionic dye-cationic surfactant interactions in mixture of cationic and nonionic surfactants

The interaction between an anionic dye C.I. Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) and a cationic surfactant dodecylpyridinium chloride (DPC) in mixtures of DPC and nonionic surfactants poly(oxyethylene)ethers (C(m)POE(n); m = 12, 16 and 18, n = 4, 10 and 23) are investigated spectrophotometrically in a certain micellar concentration range. The spectrophotometric measurements of dye-surfactant systems are carried out as function of mole fraction of surfactant at four different temperatures. For this reason, a typical system was occurred at 1.0 x 10(-2) mol l(-1) for surfactants and at 1.0 x 10(-4) mol l(-1) for dye concentrations. The formation of DPC-RO16 complex in the C(m)POE(n) solutions of different mole fractions in its micellar concentration range have been determined and compared to those obtained in the binary mixtures. From the spectrophotometric measurements has been observed that the addition of nonionic surfactant in to the mixture of DPC-RO16, causes a significant increase of the value of absorbance. This increase explains that the stability of DPC-RO16 complex is reduced in the presence of nonionic surfactant micelles. It can be seen from results; in mixed surfactant solutions, there are DPC-C(m)POE(n) and RO16-C(m)POE(n) interactions in addition to DPC-RO16 interaction. Since the solubilizaton of the DPC-RO16 complex has been appeared in the C(m)POE(n) solution, our results support the conclusion that adding C(m)POE(n) influences the hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of the studied complex. Furthermore effect of the alkyl chain length and the number of poly(oxyethylene) in nonionic surfactant on values of absorbance have been investigated.     

On the Behavior of Nonionic Surfactants at the N-Heptane/Silica Gel Interface: Influence of the Presence of Interfacial Water Inferred from Adsorption Isotherms and Calorimetric Data

The behavior of two polydisperse nonionic surfactants, poly (oxyethylene) glycol alkylphenyl ether TX-35 and TX-100, at the prewetted silica gel/n-heptane and dried silica gel/n-heptane interfaces has been compared by the determination of the average adsorption isotherms of the polydisperse surfactants and of displacement enthalpies. From HPLC experiments, we could also separately quantify the adsorption of each ethyleneoxide (EO) fractions for silica gel from the polydisperse surfactant solution. The adsorption isotherms clearly indicate an incomplete preferential adsorption of the large (EO) chains over the small ones, as well on dried silica gel as on a prehydrated sample. This preferential adsorption and its driving force follow the solubility rules of the poly(oxyethylene) glycol alkylphenyl ether in an apolar solvent and support the idea of a solubility-limited adsorption: solubility in organic solvents of the smaller (EO) chains is much more significant than that of the longer ones and hence prevents adsorption of the smaller species. Consequently, it is observed that the presence of interfacial water decreases the affinity of TX-35 molecules for the hydrophilic silica surface due to the hydration of (EO) chains. In contrast, for TX-100 adsorption after the prewetting treatment the clearest trend is a drastic increase of the adsorption ascribed to the additional solubilization (and micellization) of the TX-100 molecules in the interfacial aqueous phase. The differential molar enthalpies of displacement show a change in the adsorption mechanism, depending on the presence of molecular water on the surface. In the initial part of the adsorption isotherm, a prevailing exothermic process is obtained with prehydrated silica and suggests that hydration of the polar heads of TX-35 and the solubilization of the TX-35 in interfacial water are occurring. For higher equilibrium concentrations, the enthalpies of displacement observed with the prehydrated adsorbent become slightly lower than those obtained with dry silica gel. It may be that this difference is due to the micellization phenomenon of the surfactant species with longer EO chains in interfacial water. These features emphasize the influence of interfacial water on the adsorption of EO fractions from organic solvent. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Dependence of Colloidal Forces Between Bitumen and Silica on the Chain Lengths of Ammonium Surfactants

Effects of ammonium surfactants with different hydrocarbon chain lengths (C8, C12, C16, and C18) on the colloidal forces between bitumen and silica were studied by atomic force microscopy. The results showed that the chain length of the ammonium surfactants had a significant impact on both the long-range interaction and adhesion forces. With the addition of surfactants with relative short chains of C8 and C12 in the solutions, the long-range repulsive force decreased or even became strong attractive force, while it became repulsive again in solutions of surfactants with long chains of C16 and C18. It was further observed that addition of Ca²⁺ in various surfactants solutions would either depress or enhance the colloidal interactions based on the surfactant chain lengths. It was believed that variation of the interaction behaviors resulted from the mono-layer or bilayer adsorption of various surfactant molecules on the negatively charged surfaces of bitumen and silica, which affected the surface wettability and the surface charge characteristics and then greatly changed the colloidal interactions. The findings indicated that, to have a high bitumen recovery and good froth quality, the surfactant type and concentration of the di-valent metal ions in the oil sand processing slurry must be well considered.     

Dynamic Behavior of Surfactants in Solution

Adsorption of various surfactants at the gas liquid interface is studied with equilibrium and dynamic surface tension measurements. The Wilhelmey plate method and maximum bubble pressure method are used for this study. Dynamic surface tension of solutions of different surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), polyoxyethylene glycol 4‐tert‐octyl phenyl ether (Triton X 100), poly‐oxyethylene(20) cetyl ether (Brij 58), and tetraethylene glycol mono‐n‐dodecyl ether (Brij 30), is measured at different concentrations. Adsorption of different surfactants is compared on the basis of equilibrium and dynamic behavior. Effectiveness and efficiency of different surfactants is found from equilibrium surface tension measurement. A new parameter is defined to quantify the dynamic behavior of adsorption, which gives the concentration of surfactant needed to reduce surface tension to half of its maximum reduction within a defined time available for adsorption. The dynamics of surfactant solution is quantified by using this parameter.     

Rapid determination of surfactant critical micelle concentrations using pressure-driven flow with capillary electrophoresis instrumentation

This work demonstrates a novel, convenient utilization of capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrumentation for the determination of critical micelle concentrations (CMCs). Solution viscosity differences across a range of surfactant concentrations were monitored by hydrodynamically forcing an analyte towards the detector. Upon reaching the surfactant's CMC value, migration times were observed to change drastically. CMC values for four commonly employed anionic surfactants were determined—sodium dodecyl sulfate: 8.1 mM; sodium caprylate: 300 mM; sodium decanoate: 86 mM; sodium laurate: 30 mM; and found to be in excellent agreement with values previously reported in the literature. The technique was then applied to the less well-characterized nonionic surfactants poly(oxyethylene) 8 myristyl ether (CMC ∼ 9 M), poly(oxyethylene) 8 decyl ether (CMC ∼ 0.95 mM) and poly(oxyethylene) 4 lauryl ether.     

Controllable synthesis of conducting polypyrrole nanostructures

Wire-, ribbon-, and sphere-like nanostructures of polypyrrole have been synthesized by solution chemistry methods in the presence of various surfactants (anionic, cationic, or nonionic surfactant) with various oxidizing agents [ammonium persulfate (APS) or ferric chloride (FeCl3), respectively]. The surfactants and oxidizing agents used in this study have played a key role in tailoring the nanostructures of polypyrrole during the polymerization. It is inferred that the lamellar structures of a mesophase are formed by self-assembly between the cations of a long chain cationic surfactant [cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) or dodeyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB)] and anions of oxidizing agent APS. These layered mesostructures are presumed to act as templates for the formation of wire- and ribbon-like polypyrrole nanostructures. In contrast, if a short chain cationic surfactant octyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB) or nonionic surfactant poly(ethylene glycol) mono-p-nonylphenyl ether (Opi-10) is used, sphere-like polypyrrole nanostructures are obtained, whichever of the oxidizing agents mentioned above is used. In this case, micelles resulting from self-assembly among surfactant molecules are envisaged to serve as the templates while the polymerization happens. It is also noted that, if anionic surfactant sodium dodeyl surfate (SDS) is used, no characteristic nanostructures of polypyrrole were observed. This may be attributed to the doping effect of anionic surfactants into the resulting polypyrrole chains, and as a result, micelles self-assembled among surfactant molecules are broken down during the polymerization. The effects of monomer concentration, surfactant concentration, and surfactant chain length on the morphologies of the resulting polypyrrole have been investigated in detail. The molecular structures, composition, and electrical properties of the nanostructured polypyrrole have also been investigated in this study.     

聚｛11-[(4′-正庚氧基-4-联苯基)羰基]氧-1-十一炔｝的相结构与相转变

采用示差扫描量热法(DSC)、一维(1D)、二维(2D)广角X-射线衍射(WAXD)和偏光显微镜(PLM)等研究手段对聚{11-[(4′-正庚氧基-4-联苯基)羰基]氧-1-十一炔}(PA-9,7)的本体相转变和相结构进行研究,并采用分子动力学方法对相结构进行模拟.结果表明,样品的相转变为近晶B相(SmB)近晶A相(SmA)各向同性态(Iso).在近晶B相中,侧链在层状结构中排列成具有六次对称性的准长程有序结构。     

THE EFFECT OF POLYMER ON THE CLOUD POINT OF A SERIES OF TRIBLOCK NONIONIC SURFACTANTS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION

A series of triblock nonionic surfactants with different Propylene oxide and ethylene oxide chain lengths were synthesized. The triblock nonionic surfactants and poly(ethylene glycols) with different molecular weight were used, to find the effects of polymer chain length and size of the micelles on the cloud point of the surfactants. Two possible models are considered on the basis of cloud point changes of the solutions, to describe the polymer- surfactant interactions. One model suggests that flocculation depletion for the polymer chains exist between two regular micelles. This provides the driving force for the neighboring micelles to approach each other and destabilize the colloidal system. The flocculation effect is more important for polymers with a shorter chain block the approach of the micelles, since there is no typical polymer-surfactant association formed but just simple small molecule associations in which the steric and solvation effects of the polymer chains make the inter-micelles interactions repulsive. The other model considers that intra-chain micelles of polysoap are formed among the surfactant monomers and long polymer chains. The bridging attraction between two intra-chain micelles in such structures can enhance the collisions among the micelles, due to the exchange of amphiphilic monomers among the neighboring micelles.     

Effect of hydrophilic groups of Ca surfactants and hydrophobic chains of C(n)DMAO on coordinated vesicle formation

The effects of hydrophilic headgroups of Ca surfactants, calcium dodecylsulfate (Ca(DS)(2)), calcium dodecylsulfonate (Ca(DSA)(2)), and calcium laurate (CaL(2)) and hydrophobic chains of alkyldimethylamine oxide (C(n)DMAO, n = 12, 14, 16) on the formation of Ca(2+)-ligand coordinated vesicles was investigated in detail. On the basis of phase behavior studies, rheological properties and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscope (FF-TEM) images were measured. Quite different phase behaviors were observed in different surfactant systems. For a Ca surfactant with a highly polar group, Ca(DS)(2), vesicles were observed in all Ca(DS)(2)/C(n)DMAO (n = 12, 14, and 16) systems, whereas for Ca surfactant with lower polar group, Ca(DSA)(2), vesicles can form in Ca(DSA)(2)/C(n)DMAO systems of n = 14 and 16 but not for n = 12. For CaL(2), the surfactant with the least polar group, vesicles form only in the CaL(2)/C(16)DMAO system. The results demonstrate that in the systems formed by Ca surfactants and C(n)DMAO, the formation of vesicles is driven not only by interaction between Ca(2+) and the N → O groups of C(n)DMAO but also by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Vesicles prefer to form in Ca surfactants with highly polar headgroups and C(n)DMAO with long chain length.     

Polyoxyethylene alkyl ether nonionic surfactants: physicochemical properties and use for cholesterol determination in food

Polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, C(n)E(m), are nonionic surfactants made of an alkyl chain with n methylene groups and a hydrophilic part with m oxyethylene units. C(n)E(m) nonionic surfactants are very useful in chemical analysis. The commercially available products are often a mixture of several C(n)E(m) molecules with different m values. Pure C(n)E(m) surfactants are now available. The physicochemical parameters: critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.), molar volume, density, cloud-point temperature and hydrophile-lipophile balance value for pure C(n)E(m) surfactants were collected from the literature. Regression analyses were carried out on the data. They showed that strong correlations existed between the structure of the molecule (n and m values) and its physicochemical properties. General equations linking the c.m.c., molar volume, density and cloud-point temperature of the C(n)E(m) surfactants and their structure (n and m values) are proposed and discussed. The use of these surfactants in chemical analysis is illustrated by the determination of cholesterol in egg yolk. Cholesterol was separated from the bulk yolk by cloud-point extraction using the C(12)E(10) surfactant. It was quantitated using micellar liquid chromatography. The C(12)E(23) surfactant was used to prepare the micellar mobile phase that allowed the separation of cholesterol and the use of an enzymatic detector.     

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases formed by phyosterol ethoxylates in room-temperature ionic liquids

The phase behaviors of four phytosterol ethoxylates surfactants (BPS-n, n = 5, 10, 20, and 30) with different oxyethylene units in room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim]BF₄), have been studied. The polarized optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques are used to characterize the phase structures of these binary systems at 25 °C. The structure and ordering of the liquid crystalline (LC) phases in such BPS-n/[Bmim]BF₄ systems are found to be influenced by BPS-n concentration and the temperature. Due to the bulky and rigid cholesterol group, the phytosterol ethoxylates surfactants exhibit different properties and interaction mechanism from the conventional C_nEO_m type nonionic surfactant systems. The rheological measurements indicate a highly viscoelastic nature of these lyotropic LC phases and disclose a lamellar phase characteristic with a rather strong rigidity at high surfactant concentrations. The control experiment with Brij 97(polyoxyethylene (10) oleyl ether)/[Bmim]BF₄ system and the FTIR measurements help to recognize that the solvophobic interaction combining with the hydrogen bonding are the main driving forces for the LC phases formation.     

支链化阳离子和甜菜碱表面活性剂对聚四氟乙烯表面润湿性的影响

利用座滴法研究了支链化阳离子表面活性剂十六烷基羟丙基氯化铵(C₁₆GPC)和两性离子表面活性剂十六烷基羧酸甜菜碱(C₁₆GPB)在聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)表面上的吸附机制和润湿性质, 考察了表面活性剂浓度对表面张力、接触角、粘附张力、固液界面张力和粘附功的影响趋势. 研究发现, 低浓度条件下, 表面活性剂疏水支链的多个亚甲基基团与PTFE表面发生相互作用, 分子以平躺的方式吸附到固体界面; 支链化表面活性剂形成胶束的阻碍较大, 浓度大于临界胶束浓度(cmc)时, C₁₆GPC和C₁₆GPB分子在固液界面上继续吸附, 与PTFE作用的亚甲基基团减少, 分子逐渐直立, 固液界面自由能(γ_sl)明显降低. 对于支链化的阳离子和甜菜碱分子, 接触角均在浓度高于cmc后大幅度降低.     

Microcalorimetric study on micellization of nonionic surfactants with a benzene ring or adamantane in their hydrophobic chains

The micellization of a novel family of nonionic surfactants poly(oxyethylene) glycol alkyl ethers has been studied by microcalorimetry. One of the surfactants has adamantane, and the other nonionic surfactants have a benzene ring in their hydrophobic chains, which moves from the terminal of the hydrophobic chain toward the headgroup. Moreover, the alkyl chain of the nonionic surfactants is straight or branched. Both the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and the thermodynamic parameters associated with the micelle formation have been obtained. The cmc decreases and the enthalpy of micelle formation (deltaH(mic)) becomes less positive gradually as the length of hydrophobic chain increases, whereas the values of cmc and deltaH(mic) tend to increase for the surfactants with a longer ethylene oxide chain. However, the deltaH(mic) value of the surfactant with seven carbon atoms in a hydrophobic chain is more positive than that of the surfactant with six carbon atoms in a hydrophobic chain. Comparing with the nonionic surfactant with a methylene hydrophobic chain, the surfactants with benzene rings and adamantane groups have larger cmc values and the cmc values increase with the size of the groups. Furthermore, moving the phenyl group from the terminal of the hydrophobic chain to the neighbor of the hydrophilic headgroup leads to the decreased cmc. Both the variation of hydrophobic interaction from the movement of phenyl group and pi-pi interaction among adjacent phenyl groups affect deltaH(mic) values.     

Hybrid fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon CO2-philic surfactants. 2. formation and properties of water-in-CO2 microemulsions

Hybrid fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon (F-H) sulfate surfactants are shown to be efficient stabilizers in water-in-CO2 (w/c) microemulsions. The chain structure and F-H ratio affect the regions of P-T phase stability and aggregation structure in these w/c phases. High-pressure near-infrared spectroscopy and small-angle neutron scattering measurements of microemulsified water provide evidence for the stabilization of w/c microemulsion droplets. The relative lengths of the two chains were found to influence the favored aggregation structure: for symmetric chain surfactants (F8H8, F7H7) spherical reverse micelles are present, but for asymmetric chain surfactants (F7H4, F8H4) extended cylinder aggregates form. These changes in aggregation are consistent with different surfactant packing parameters owing to the controlled variations in molecular structure. Furthermore, the general order of w/c phase transition pressures (F8H8 < F7H7 and F8H4 < F7H4) is in line with estimations of surfactant fractional free volume, as proposed by Johnston et al. (J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 1962-1966). Studies of adsorption at the poly(dimethylsiloxane)-water interface are shown to be valuable for assessing the CO2-philicity of new surfactants. All in all, the symmetric F8H8 and F7H7 analogues are seen to be the most efficient compounds from this class for applications in CO2.