Order parameters of dye molecules in lyotropic nematic mesophases

The alignment in a magnetic field of two similar azo dyes in binary nematic lyotropic phases (C₇F₁₅CO₂NH₄ and C₈F₁₇CO₂NH₄ in D₂O) has been studied. The order 5 parameter for the dyes was determined by measuring quadrupolar splittings (deuterium N.M.R.), the anisotropy of the electric conductivity and dichroism. The order parameter of the dye fixed in the disc-like perfluoro micelle with positive diamagnetic anisotropy was determined as a function of magnetic field strength, surfactant concentration, temperature and chain length. In addition the time constants for orientation and disorientation were determined.     

Atomic force microscopy images of lyotropic lamellar phases

For the very first time, atomic force microscope images of lamellar phases were observed combined with a freeze fracture technique that does not involve the use of replicas. Samples are rapidly frozen, fractured, and scanned directly with atomic force microscopy, at liquid nitrogen temperature and in high vacuum. This procedure can be used to investigate micro-structured liquids. The lamellar phases in Sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/water and in C12E5/water systems were used to asses this new technique. Our observations were compared with x-ray diffraction measurements and with other freeze fracture methods reported in the literature. Our results show that this technique is useful to image lyotropic lamellar phases and the estimated repeat distances for lamellar periodicity are consistent with those obtained by x-ray diffraction.     

Estimation of the Interfacial Tension Between the Lamellar and the Sponge Phases of a Lyotropic System

In lyotropic systems, the sponge and the lamellar phases possess the same local structure: a membrane made of a bilayer of surfactants. In the quasiternary lyotropic system CPCl/brine/hexanol, the bilayer is continuous through the interface between the lamellar and the sponge phases. A model based on this phenomenon has predicted a very low value of the interfacial free energy. The study of hydrodynamic relaxation time of distorted spherical lamellar droplets gives an estimation of the interfacial tension value. Results confirm the validity of the model and the dependence on membrane volume fraction is explained by a simple scaling law.     

Formation of Lamellar Silica from Lyotropic Liquid Crystals of Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid

The formation of lamellar mesostructured silica by a neutral route in dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA)/aminoalkoxysilane/water systems was investigated by phase study and Small Angle X‐ray Scattering (SAXS). Initially, two lamellar lyotropic phases are found, one corresponding to the DBSA and other corresponding to the DBSA‐aminoalkoxysilane salt. With the hydrolysis and condensation of siloxane groups, the DBSA‐aminoalkoxysilane lyotropic phase disappears and lamellar silica is formed. The lyotropic phase does not act as a true template but as a source of amphiphilic molecules, hence synthesis takes place via a phase separation mechanism. This synthesis route provides an easy way to prepare amino functionalized lamellar silica.     

Polymerisation in lyotropic liquid-crystalline phases of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide

The polymerisation of styrene in lyotropic liquid-crystalline (LC) phases of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB) in water is explored. Amphiphile concentrations between 20 and 50 wt % are employed. The study is set out as a model study for polymerisation reactions in nonstabilised, nonfunctional bilayer systems. X-ray characterisation was used to assess the phase behaviour of the lyotropic mesophases before, during and after polymerisation. The DODAB/water system forms the lamellar phase within the concentration range considered. Addition of styrene to the lamellar phase of DODAB at an equimolar ratio induces a phase shift to a bicontinuous cubic phase at elevated temperatures near the phase-transition temperature. Upon polymerisation within this cubic phase, the phase structure is maintained if the system is kept at constant temperature; however, if the polymer/amphiphile phase is cooled, the lamellar phase, being typical of the DODAB/water system, is restored. It is concluded that, as a result of phase separation between the polymer and the amphiphile phase, the polymerisation in lyotropic LC phases does not provide a stable copy of the templating amphiphile phase. This is in analogy to the observations for polymerisations in other lyotropic phases. Received: 16 March 2000 Accepted: 1 July 2000     

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour of a monomeric and a polymeric monosaccharide amphiphile in aqueous solution

Monomeric and polymeric amphiphiles were synthesized which exhibit lyotropic liquid crystalline phases in aqueous solution. The hydrophobic group of the monomeric surfactant is a dodecane-group esterified with acrylic acid. The hydrophilic unit is a monosaccharide derivative. By radical polymerization the monomer (N-D(-)-gluco-N-methyl-(12-acryloyloxy)-dodecane-l-amide) is converted into the corresponding polymeric surfactant. The monomer as well as the polymer exhibit a lyotropic 1.c. phase of lamellar structure. Owing to the polymerization the regime of the lamellar phase is greatly enlarged for the polymer, compared to the monomeric sufactant. These results confirm earlier investigations on non-ionic ethylene-glycol surfactants.     

表面活性剂溶致液晶的流变学性质

系统阐述了三种溶致液晶(六角状、立方状和层状液晶)的流变性质,概括了各自的流变性特点并给出了其理论模型,特别对立方相的流变学模型和层状相的剪切诱导转变作用进行了较详细的说明.讨论了因为这种转变而导致的囊泡的形成,并且在表面活性剂和嵌段共聚物中均可观察到剪切诱导的结构转变.     

Lyotropic phases reinforced by hydrogen bonding

Amphiphilic guanidinium alkylbenzenesulfonates (GCnBS; n = number of carbons in the alkyl chain) exhibited lyotropic behavior in aqueous and organic solvents. The GCnBS compounds formed gel-like phases in certain cyclic organic solvents (e.g. p-xylene, cyclohexane) through the formation of swollen interdigitated lamellar phases reinforced by hydrogen bonding between the guanidinium ions and sulfonate moieties. This behavior was not observed for the homologous sodium alkylbenzenesulfonates, indicating that hydrogen bonding, mediated by the guanidinium (G) ion, was required for gel formation. Infrared spectroscopy unambiguously demonstrated the existence of the quasi-hexagonal hydrogen-bonded sheet typically adopted by G ions and the sulfonate groups in layered, solvent-free crystalline phases of the compounds, supporting lamellar structures in the gels. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of these gels revealed GCnBS lamellar phases with interlayer spacings (d) that increased with increasing temperature, consistent with increased absorption of solvent by the nonpolar regions of the gelator. At the lower gelator concentrations, the increase in d-spacing achieved at the higher temperatures exceeded the sum of the alkylbenzene chain lengths, suggesting either long-range interactions between the GS sheets or undulation stabilized lamellae, which have been reported in aqueous lamellar gels. The GCnBS compounds also formed lyotropic phases in water, but the phase behavior was more complex than that of the organogels. The rheology suggested gel-like behavior associated with entangled worm-like micelles at these higher concentrations. These lyotropic phases were reminiscent of crystalline layered and tubular architectures exhibited by various guanidinium organomonosulfonate compounds. These lyotropic phases expand the liquid crystal behavior observed for GS compounds beyond recently observed thermotropic smectic phases, adding to the portfolio of phase behavior exhibited by these materials.     

Lyotropic liquid crystalline phases formed in ternary mixtures of 1-cetyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide/p-xylene/water: a SAXS, POM, and rheology study

The phase behavior of ternary mixtures of 1-cetyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C(16)mim-Br)/p-xylene/water is studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and rheology measurements. Two types of lyotropic liquid crystalline phases are formed in the mixtures: hexagonal and lamellar. The structural parameters of the lyotropic liquid crystalline phases are calculated. Greater surfactant content in the sample leads to denser aggregation of the cylindrical units in the hexagonal liquid crystalline phase. The increase in lattice parameter and thickness of the water layer in lamellar phase are attributed to the increase of water content, and the area per surfactant molecule at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface for lamellar phase is found to be larger than that for hexagonal phase. The structural parameters of the liquid crystalline phases formed from the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) system are larger than those for the C(16)mim-Br system. The rheological properties of the samples are also found to be related to the structure of the liquid crystalline phases.     

Ionic interaction induced novel ordered columnar mesophases in asymmetric discotic triphenylene salts

Asymmetric triphenylene imidazolium salts with different spacer lengths were successfully synthesized through quarternization of ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes with 1-methyl imidazole. The asymmetry in ω-bromo-substituted triphenylenes tended to destroy liquid crystallinity in the sample. However, highly ordered columnar mesophases with a lamellar microphase segregation were induced by ionic interactions among the imidazolium salts, and the lamellar morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. On the basis of an X-ray diffraction study on shear oriented samples, a novel rectangular columnar phase with a plane group of pm was observed for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a spacer length of C₁₁, while an oblique columnar phase was determined for a triphenylene imidazolium salt with a C₈ spacer. Due to the asymmetric molecular shape and ionic interactions in the triphenylene imidazolium salts, the columnar liquid crystalline phase was extended to below room temperature (c. -20°C) for samples with spacer lengths of C₈ and C₁₁.     

Synthesis,thermal and lyotropic liquid crystalline properties of protic ionic salts

A series of protic ionic salts were synthesised by a simple acid–base reaction from various pyridine derivatives and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid in a common organic solvent and characterised in terms of their thermal and lyotropic liquid crystalline properties using various experimental techniques. All of them exhibited lyotropic liquid crystalline phases in toluene, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide and water. Their critical concentrations for the formation of biphasic solutions and concentrations for the formation of lyotropic solutions were quite broad depending on the dielectric constants of the solvents. Their lyotropic phases were identified as lamellar phases, since their textures exhibited bâtonnets, oily streaks and mosaic textures. They can potentially be used for many organic transformations, which may have implications in green chemistry.     

Amphiphilic N-benzoyl-1-amino-1-deoxy-D-glucitol derivatives forming thermotropic lamellar, columnar and different types of cubic mesophases

Novel amphiphilic glucamine derivatives have been synthesized. These are N-benzoyl-1-deoxy1-methylamino-D-glucitols and N-benzoyl-1-amino-1-deoxy-D-glucitols carrying one, two or three aliphatic chains (CnH2n 1O- with n 3, 6 and 12) grafted to the benzamido group. The thermotropic mesophases of these compounds were studied by thermal polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, and some also by X-ray scattering. Depending on the number and the length of the alkyl chains lamellar, bicontinuous cubic, hexagonal columnar or inverted micellar cubic mesophases were detected by analogy with lyotropic systems. In the contact region between lamellar phases of the single chain amphiphiles and micellar cubic phases of the mesomorphic triple chain compounds, hexagonal columnar phases can be induced. A hexagonal columnar phase was also induced in the contact region between a bicontinuous and a micellar cubic mesophase. The lyotropic liquid crystalline behaviour of the dodecyloxy substituted N-benzoyl-1-deoxy-1-methylamino-D-glucitols was investigated by the solvent penetration method using ethylene glycol as protic solvent. On increasing the solvent content, the double chain compound forms a cubic and a lamellar mesophase and the triple chain compound forms a hexagonal columnar lyomesophase. The dodecyloxy substituted compounds were also investigated with respect to their behaviour as thin films at the air-water interface using a Langmuir film-balance. Different types of pi/Aisotherms were observed whereby the molecular areas at collapse were determined either by the size of the carbohydrate head group (single chain compounds) or by the number of alkyl chains (double and triple chain compound).     

超分子模板法合成层状中孔结构氧化铝

利用烷基硫酸钠作为模板剂在室温下合成了层状中孔结构氧化铝,考察了表面活性剂碳链长度和表面活性剂混合比例对层状氧化铝中孔相结构参数的影响.当使用单一表面活性剂作为模板剂时,层状中孔结构氧化铝的层间距d及其层状结构的长程有序度随着表面活性剂碳链长度的增加而增加;若使用C₈H₁₇SO₄Na与C₁₄H₂₉SO₄Na混合表面活性剂作为混合模板剂,当C₁₄H₂₉SO₄Na摩尔分数x处在0～0.5时,层间距基本恒定,接近于具有二者平均碳链长度(n=11)的单一表面活性剂作为模板剂时的情形;当x>0.5时,层间距随x的增大而逐渐增大.通过提出的混合表面活性剂在无机层中的分子排列结构模型对该结果做了解释.     

Lyotropic mesomorphism of rare-earth trisalkylsulphates in the water-ethylene glycol system

Lyotropic mesophases were observed for rare-earth trisdodecylsulphates, Ln(C₁₂H₂₅SO₄)₃ (Ln = Y, La, Ce-Lu, except Pm) in the presence of ethylene glycol or water (or mixtures thereof) as the solvent. In ethylene glycol, a normal hexagonal phase and a cubic phase could be detected, whereas in water a normal hexagonal phase and a lamellar phase were found. Thus by changing the solvent, it is possible to obtain different supramolecular organizations within a series of lanthanide-containing metallomesogens.     

Structural and dielectric behaviour of non-aqueous lyotropic mixtures: influence of amphiphile chain lengths and counter ions

This study highlights the effects of amphiphile chain length and counter ions on the self-assembly and dielectric behaviour of non-aqueous lyotropic liquid crystals. Two-dimensional hexagonal mesophase is seen for short-chain length sodium dodecyl sulphate, while lamellar and multiwall lamellar mesophases are noticed for long-chain length cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate amphiphiles in the non-aqueous domains of ethylene glycol. A strong influence of amphiphile counter ions is seen on static dielectric constant, loss factor, relaxation frequency and relaxation time of these lyotropic mixtures. Refractive indices of these lyotropic phases are also highlighted.     

Aqueous two-phase extraction system of sodium perfluorooctanoate and dodecyltriethylammonium bromide mixture and its application to porphyrins and dyes

A new aqueous two-phase system is developed consisting of sodium perfluorooctanoate (SPFO) and dodecyltriethylammonium bromide (C₁₂NE) cationic–anionic surfactant mixture. The two phases with a clear interfacial boundary formed when SPFO to C₁₂NE molar ratio is 1.2:1 in the presence of 5% (v/v) nitric acid. The top phase is transparent and the bottom phase is opalescent. Extractions of dyes, porphyrin compounds with the two-phase system were performed. The results show that hydrophobic molecules were extracted into the surfactant-rich bottom phase with high extraction efficiencies. Positively charged porphyrins were extracted into the bottom phase with higher extraction efficiencies than negatively charged porphyrins. Such a new anionic surfactant two-phase system would be complementary to the C₁₂NE–SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) cationic two-phase which has been proven to be effective for extractions of porphyrins with substituted groups like carboxyl or sulfonic acid groups.     

The study of the partitioning mechanism of methyl orange in an aqueous two-phase system

An aqueous two-phase system of dodecyl triethylammonium bromide (C₁₂NE, cationic surfactant) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS, anionic surfactant) mixture is proposed for the extraction of some dyes and porphyrin compounds. Transparent two phase-systems are formed when the surfactant concentrations and C₁₂NE/SDS ratios are in certain regions. In this study, the aqueous two phase-systems were prepared by mixing 0.1 mol l⁻¹ C₁₂NE and SDS with a molar ratio of 1.7:1.0. The results showed that negatively charged chlorophyll (sodium copper chlorophyllin) and positively charged dye (methyl violet) were efficiently extracted into the upper phase. The negatively charged methyl orange (pH>7) was moved into the upper phase mostly while amphoteric methyl orange (pH<3) was distributed in the two phases uniformly. Except for hydrophobic force, charge interaction between solute and surfactant also play an important role in the extraction process.     

Metastable phases in kinetics of phase transformations in the frozen liquid crystal 4-ethoxybenzylidene-4'-n-butylaniline

The nematogen 4-ethoxybenzylidene-4'-n-butylaniline gives by fast cooling a frozen phase called C₁ different from a glassy nematic state. The X-ray diffraction spectra of a non-aligned sample and a sample aligned by a magnetic field show that the C₁ phase is a monolayer smectic phase: molecules are inclined to the normal of the smectic planes by an angle of 35° ± 5°. On reheating we obtain metastable phases more and more ordered; those phases C₂ and C₃ are crystalline. The kinetics for the metastable phases correspond to a nucleation growth process of the same type (n = 2) for the two transformations C₁→C₂→C₂. If we assume a thermal process the growth is monodimensional.     

含有酰胺基或酯基的可降解阳离子Gemini表面活性剂在水溶液中的聚集行为

In the last thirty years, Gemini surfactants with various structures have been designed, synthesized, and demonstrated to show superior physicochemical properties. However, the utilization of non-degradable surfactants, including these Gemini surfactants, poses a threat to the environment; hence, degradable Gemini surfactants are desirable. Herein, biodegradable cationic Gemini surfactants with amide or ester groups in the hydrophobic chains or the spacer were synthesized. A monomeric surfactant containing an amide group and a Gemini surfactant with amide groups both in the hydrophobic chains and the spacer were synthesized for comparison. The effects of amide group location on the aggregation behavior of Gemini surfactants were studied systematically. The differences between the Gemini surfactants with amide groups and Gemini surfactants with ester groups were evaluated by comparing their aggregation behavior and hydrogen bonding formation. The Gemini surfactants with amide groups (C₁₂A-C_n-AC₁₂) in the chains showed much larger exothermic ΔH_mic and more negative ΔG_mic values than those of the corresponding monomeric surfactant C₁₂A; besides, their critical micelle concentration (cmc) was more than one order of magnitude lower than that of C₁₂A. The amide groups located in the hydrophobic alkyl chains promoted hydrogen bonding formation and self-assembly of the Gemini surfactants C₁₂A-C_n-AC₁₂. Moreover, ¹H NMR spectra revealed that the co-effect of a short spacer and hydrogen bonding leads to slow exchange of the C₁₂A-C₂-AC₁₂ molecules between the monomer and the aggregate. For the Gemini surfactant series C₁₂-AC_nA-C₁₂, the amide groups notably increased the spacer length, and largest cmc value and smallest exothermic ΔH_mic value were observed for C₁₂-AC₂A-C₁₂ instead of C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂. In C₁₂-AC₁₂A-C₁₂, the spacer was long and sufficiently flexible to adopt a "U"-shaped conformation above the cmc, and it acted as the hydrophobic part of the surfactant, as confirmed by ¹H NMR spectra. Among the Gemini surfactant with amide groups in both the spacer and the hydrophobic alkyl chains, C₁₂A-AC₆A-AC₁₂ had a smaller cmc and I₁/I₃ ratio as well as more exothermic ΔH_mic values than those of C₁₂A-C₆-AC₁₂ and C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂. ¹H NMR spectra indicated that an ester-alcohol structural equilibrium exists during aggregation for the Gemini surfactants with ester groups. In addition, the Gemini surfactants with ester groups formed water-mediated hydrogen bonds in the aggregates. This water-mediated hydrogen bonding between ester groups was weaker than the direct hydrogen bonding between amide groups. Therefore, the Gemini surfactants with ester groups, C₁₂E-C₆-EC₁₂ and C₁₂-EC₆E-C₁₂, exhibited lower surface activity, a larger micelle ionization degree, higher micropolarity, and smaller exothermic ΔH_mic and less negative ΔG_mic values than their counterparts with amide groups, C₁₂A-C₆-AC₁₂ and C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂.     

界面扩张流变法研究C_(12)mimBr对Gemini12-2-12在空气/水界面聚集行为的影响

采用界面扩张流变技术研究了季铵盐偶联表面活性剂C12-(CH2)2-C12·2Br(Gemini12-2-12)及其与离子液体表面活性剂溴化1-十二烷基-3-甲基咪唑(C12mim Br)复配体系的动态界面张力、扩张流变性质和界面弛豫过程等,探讨了C12mim Br对C12mim Br/Gemini12-2-12混合体系界面性质的影响及C12mim Br对Gemini12-2-12界面聚集行为影响的机制.结果表明,随着离子液体表面活性剂的不断引入,体系界面吸附达到平衡所需的时间逐渐缩短,扩张模量和相角明显降低,界面吸附膜由粘弹性膜转变为近似纯弹性膜;同时,界面及其附近的弛豫过程也发生显著变化,慢弛豫过程消失,快弛豫过程占主导地位,且离子液体浓度越高,快弛豫的贡献越大.这些界面性质的变化主要归因于离子液体表面活性剂C12mim Br参与界面形成及两表面活性剂在界面竞争吸附的结果.少量离子液体表面活性剂C12mim Br的加入可以填补疏松的Gemini12-2-12界面上的空位,形成混合界面吸附膜.随着C12mim Br含量的增加,嵌入界面的C12mim Br分子数不断增多,导致界面上相互缠绕的Gemini12-2-12烷基链"解缠",在体相和界面分子扩散交换的过程中"解缠"的Gemini12-2-12分子从界面上解吸回到体相,与此同时,C12mim Br分子相对较小的空间位阻及较强的疏水作用促使其优先扩散至界面进而取代Gemini12-2-12分子,最终界面几乎完全被C12mim Br分子所占据.