Interactions between polyampholytes and ionic surfactants

The interactions of two partially charged ampholytic terpolymers [consisting of acrylamide, sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonate, and 2-(methacryloyloxyethyl)trimethylammonium chloride segments with molar compositions 80/12/08 and 80/08/12] and two fully charged ampholytic copolymers (containing only the two latter comonomers with molar compositions of 80/20 and 50/50), with cationic surfactants [tetradecyl- trimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)] and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), are investigated. The studies include phase behaviour (swelling, solubilisation, precipitation), viscometry, electrical conductivity, and potentiometry (bromide ion and surfactant ion-specific electrodes). The 80/08/12 and 80/12/08 polyampholytes swell in water and are solubilised in the presence of cationic or anionic surfactants above a particular surfactant concentration that is proportional to the polymer concentration. The polyampolyte 80/20 is soluble in water but precipitates in the presence of TTAB, whereas 50/50 is insoluble in water and in the presence of TTAB, but is solubilised upon addition of SDS. The results indicate that TTAB binds to 80/12/08 with little or no cooperativity. Solubilisation appears to be the result of the increasing polyelectrolyte character of the polyampholyte upon neutralisation of its charged sites by bound surfactant ions of opposite charge. The binding of TTAB by the 50/50 polyampholyte is very weak and non-cooperative. In contrast, 80/20 binds TTAB cooperatively, much like a true polyelectrolyte-surfactant system of opposing charges. In particular, the binding is characterised by the existence of a critical aggregation concentration. A partial phase diagram for this system has been determined from the TTA⁺-electrode potential data. The behaviour of true polyelectrolytes and polyampholytes, with respect to their interaction with surfactants, is discussed. Received: 22 July 1998 Accepted: 14 September 1998     

Preparation and dilute solution properties of model gemini nonionic surfactants

Dimeric poly(ethylene oxide) surfactants (or nonionic gemini surfactants) with the structure (Cn-2H2n-3CHCH2O(CH2CH2O)mH)2(CH2)6 (or GemnEm), where n is the alkyl length and m is the average number of ethylene oxides per head group, were synthesized. Surfactants were synthesized with alkyl chain lengths n = 12, 14, and 20 and m = 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30. Water solubilities and cloud temperatures at 1 wt% were determined by measuring turbidity as a function of temperature. Cloud temperatures increase with m and decrease with n, as observed for conventional surfactants. For large m the cloud temperatures were all above 100 degrees C. Surfactants with small m (i.e., n = 12, 14, m = 5 and n = 20, m = 10) were insoluble at room temperature, forming two-phase mixtures. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were measured using a pyrene fluorescence method and are all in the range of 10(-7) to 10(-6) M, with the lowest values from the surfactants with large n and small m. CMCs of mixtures with both anionic and nonionic conventional (monomeric) surfactants were well described by an ideal mixing model.     

Interaction of ionic surfactants with cornea-mimicking anionic liposomes

The interaction of surface-active molecules with lipid bilayers is ubiquitous both in biological systems and also in several technological applications. Here we explore the interaction of ionic surfactants with liposomes whose composition mimics the ocular epithelia. In this study, liposomes with a composition mimicking ocular epithelia are loaded with calcein dye above the self-quenching concentration. The liposomes are then exposed to surfactants, and the rate of dye leaked from the liposomes due to the interaction of surfactants is measured. Both cationic and anionic surfactants at various concentrations and ionic strengths are explored. Results show that the liposome bilayer permeability to the dye increases on exposure to the surfactants, leading to the release of the dye trapped in the core. However, the dye release stops after a finite time, suggesting a transient increase in permeability followed by healing. The leakage profiles exhibit two different timescales for the cationic surfactant but only one timescale for the anionic surfactant. The total dye leakage increases with surfactant concentration, and at a given concentration, the dye leakage is significantly higher for the cationic surfactants. The timescale for the healing decreases with increasing surfactant concentration, and increasing ionic strength increases the dye leakage for the anionic surfactant. These results show that the surfactant binding to the lipid bilayer increases the permeability while the bilayers heal likely because of the surfactant jump from the outer to the inner leaflet and/or rearrangement into tighter aggregates.     

Interaction of cylindrical polymer brushes in dilute and semi-dilute solution

We present a systematic study of flexible cylindrical brush-shaped macromolecules in a good solvent by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), static light scattering (SLS), and by dynamic light scattering (DLS) in dilute and semi-dilute solution. The SLS and SANS data extrapolated to infinite dilution lead to the shape of the polymer that can be modeled in terms of a worm-like chain with a contour length of 380 nm and a persistence length of 17.5 nm. SANS data taken at higher polymer concentration were evaluated by using the polymer reference interaction site model (PRISM). We find that the persistence length reduce from 17.5 nm at infinite dilution to 5.3 nm at the highest concentration (volume fraction 0.038). This is comparable with the decrease of the persistence length in semi-dilute concentration predicted theoretically for polyelectrolytes. This finding reveals a softening of stiffness of the polymer brushes caused by their mutual interaction.     

Interaction of (hydroxypropyl) cellulose with anionic surfactants in dilute regime

(Hydroxypropyl)cellulose (HPC) dilute aqueous solutions in the presence of sodium cholate (CS), sodium deoxycholate (DC), and sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) were investigated. The hydrophobicity parameter (I ₁/I ₃) from fluorescence has shown a critical aggregation concentration (CAC) lower than the critical micellar concentration (CMC). One or two breakpoints were observed in the curve conductivity vs surfactant concentration. The thermodynamic parameters of aggregation (, and ) and the degree of counterion dissociation were calculated. Evidences for the secondary aggregation of CS/water system were found. The relative viscosity increases for HPC/bile salt solutions only at high surfactant concentrations, whereas for HPC/SDS, it passes through a maximum. The cloud points of both HPC/bile salt solutions at higher surfactant concentrations reach a temperature plateau value around 324 K, while for HPC/SDS, it exceeds 373 K at low SDS concentrations. Dynamic light scattering has demonstrated that the surfactants bind to HPC already at concentrations lower than CAC.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Synthesis and solution properties of ionic liquid-type polysiloxane bola surfactants

Three novel ionic liquid (IL)-type polysiloxane bola surfactants (ATPS-MA, ATPS-EA, and ATPS-PA) were designed and synthesized using a two-step method. Their chemical structures were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy. Their surface activity and aggregation behavior in aqueous solution were systematically investigated by surface tension measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Surface activity measurement results indicated that the γ_CMC of the three IL-type polysiloxane surfactants are under 25 mN m^?1, and much lower than those of conventional IL hydrocarbon bola surfactants due to the introduction of siloxane group at the end of the hydrophobic chains. TEM and DLS analyses results indicated that the three surfactants can self-assemble into spherical micelles with a range from 50 to 300?nm, indicating potential uses as model systems for biomembranes and vehicles for drug delivery.     

Interactions between partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and ionic surfactants

We have studied the micellar properties of the surfactant and also the polymer conformation in a mixture of sodium dodecyl sulphate or dodecylbenzene sulphonate and partially hydrolysed polyacrylamide. The results are interpreted in terms of electrostatic interactions and by taking into account the site binding of the counter-ions either on the polyions or onto the micelles.     

Interaction of anionic dyes and cationic surfactants with ionic liquid character

The interactions of an imidazolium based ionic liquid (IL), namely 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [C12 mim][Cl] with two sulfonated anionic dyes, azocarmine G and methyl orange, are studied spectrophotometrically in both acidic and basic media. ILs (with some surface active character) can interact with the above dyes and cause considerable shifts in their spectra. These interactions are then compared with some surfactant-dye interactions. Evolving factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) are used for complete resolution of the measured spectrophotometric data. The concentration and spectral profiles of all species were calculated without any assumption of the chemical models. The spectral variation of dye solutions as a function of IL concentrations below and above the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) is analyzed using MCR-ALS as a soft-modeling technique. The ion pair formation constants between ILs and dyes were calculated using the obtained concentration profiles.     

Interaction between water soluble polymers and surfactants

Based on literature data and some own results a short review of regularities, driving forces and mechanisms of interaction for different classes of polymers and surfactants is given. The main investigation methods of polymer‐surfactant systems are described.     

Interaction between anionic and cationic gemini surfactants at air/water interface and in aqueous bulk solution

The mixture of the anionic O,O′-bis(sodium 2-lauricate)-p-benzenediol (C₁₁pPHCNa) and cationic (oligoona)alkanediyl-α, ω-bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide) (C₁₂-2-E_x-C₁₂·2Br) gemini surfactants has been investigated by surface tension and pyrene fluorescence. The results show that the surface tension γ drops faster with total surfactant concentration C_T for α₁ = 0.1 or 0.3 than for α₁ = 0.7 or 0.9, where α₁ is the mole fraction of C₁₁pPHCNa in the bulk solution on a surfactant-only basis. The fast drop in γ for α₁ < 0.5 indicates strong adsorption at the air/water interface owing to the interaction between oppositely charged components, resulting in the formation of the adsorption double layers in the subsurface. The slow descent in γ for α₁ > 0.5 is attributed to the pre-aggregation in the solution before the critical micelle concentration cmc. A possible mechanism is proposed.     

Interaction energy and surface reconstruction between sheets of layered silicates

Interactions between two layered silicate sheets, as found in various nanoscale materials, are investigated as a function of sheet separation using molecular dynamics simulation. The model systems are periodic in the xy plane, open in the z direction, and subjected to stepwise separation of the two silicate sheets starting at equilibrium. Computed cleavage energies are 383 mJ /m(2) for K-mica, 133 mJ /m(2) for K-montmorillonite (cation exchange capacity=91), 45 mJ /m(2) for octadecylammonium (C(18))-mica, and 40 mJ /m(2) for C(18)-montmorillonite. These values are in quantitative agreement with experimental data and aid in the molecular-level interpretation. When alkali ions are present at the interface between the silicate sheets, partitioning of the cations between the surfaces is observed at 0.25 nm separation (mica) and 0.30 nm separation (montmorillonite). Originally strong electrostatic attraction between the two silicate sheets is then reduced to 5% (mica) and 15% (montmorillonite). Weaker van der Waals interactions decay within 1.0 nm separation. The total interaction energy between sheets of alkali clay is less than 1 mJ /m(2) after 1.5 nm separation. When C(18) surfactants are present on the surfaces, the organic layer (>0.8 nm) acts as a spacer between the silicate sheets so that positively charged ammonium head groups remain essentially in the same position on the surfaces of the two sheets at any separation. As a result, electrostatic interactions are efficiently shielded and dispersive interactions account for the interfacial energy. The flexibility of the hydrocarbon chains leads to stretching, disorder, and occasional rearrangements of ammonium head groups to neighbor cavities on the silicate surface at medium separation (1.0-2.0 nm). The total interaction energy amounts to less than 1 mJ /m(2) after 3 nm separation.     

Interaction between crystal violet and natural and organic cation-modified layered silicates

Adsorption and spectral methods are employed for complex studying the interaction of organic cations of crystal violet with layered silicates, kaolinite and hydromica, both natural and modified with a cationic surfactant, cetylpyridinium bromide, and a cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(hexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride). It is shown that, on the surface of silicates modified with long-chain cationic surfactants, the examined sorbate is sorbed via the hydrophobic interaction of its aggregates with the modified surface. In the case of minerals modified with relatively hydrophilic poly(hexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride), crystal violet cations are sorbed through the ion-exchange mechanism by displacing the functional groups of the modifier from the surface.     

Interaction between sulfonephthalein dyes and chitosan in aqueous solution and its application to the determination of surfactants.

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of ionic surfactants with Bromophenol Blue (BPB) based on incorporation into a precipitated chitosan was studied. Cationic surfactants (CS+), such as a quaternary ammonium ion containing a long-chain alkyl group, associate with BPB2- buffered at about pH 9 to form the ion associate (CS+)2 x BPB2-. CS+ associates with anionic surfactants (AS-). In the presence of a definite amount of CS+, an increase in the amount of AS- leads to a decrease in the amount of excess CS+, and therefore to a decrease in the amount of the ion associate of CS+ with BPB2-. The addition of a chitosan dissolved in acetic acid to a solution containing these ion associates leads immediately to precipitation of the chitosan and the incorporation of the ion associates (CS+)2 x BPB2- or CS+ x AS- into the precipitated chitosan. After centrifuging, ionic surfactants can be determined by the following two methods: (1) the absorbance of the supernatant solution is measured at 590 nm. (2) After the supernatant solution is separated, the precipitate is dissolved in an acetic acid solution and the absorbance is measured at 625 nm. Because the color of the precipitate is judged by the naked eye, this can be applied to the visual method. This is a simple and rapid method for the determination of a 10(-6) M order of ionic surfactants.     

A sensitive two-phase titration of anionic surfactants with a dilute tetraphenylphosphonium chloride solution

A visual indicator method is described for titrations of anionic surfactants with 5 × 10^-5 M tetraphenylphosphonium solution. Two dyes, the hydrophilic neutral red and the hydrophobic tetrabromophenolphthalein ethyl ester, are used as indicator in the presence of 1,2-dichloroethane.     

Interaction between polyelectrolyte gels and surfactants of opposite charge

Investigations dealing with fundamental aspects of the interaction between covalently cross-linked polyelectrolyte gels and oppositely charged surfactants are reviewed. For reference, a brief summary of results from recent studies of associative phase separation in linear polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures is also included. It is found that great progress has been made in several sub-areas since the first reports appeared in the early 1990's. The frequently observed surfactant-induced volume transition has been studied in detail. Its relation to associative phase separation in solutions and the important role of polyion-mediated micelle–micelle attractions have been clarified. Phase separation in gels, in particular core/shell structures, has been studied in great detail. The importance of network mediated elastic forces between two phases coexisting in the same gel has been demonstrated and some of their consequences have been clarified. Hydrophobic interactions between polyion and micelle have been found to have strong effects on both binding and swelling isotherms. The effect of salt, which has been found to sometimes disfavor, sometimes promote surfactant binding, is quite well understood. The microstructure of gels in the collapsed state has been studied in great detail and is often found to be highly ordered, resembling liquid crystalline phases common to surfactant/water systems. The kinetics of surfactant binding and the associated volume change has been investigated to some extent. Progress has been made for gels displaying phase separation during the volume transition.     

Interaction between cationic surfactants and montmorillonites under nonequilibrium condition

Surfactant adsorption by two different montmorillonites was characterized by examining the time dependence of surfactant behavior on clay surfaces. Surfactants with different micelle concentrations were conducted in our experiment to observe a nonequilibrium activity of cationic surfactant on the clay over reaction periods ranging from 0.1 min to 11 days. Compared with Ca-montmorillonite (SAz), a more active intrusion of surfactant molecules into the interlayers was found in Na-montmorillonite (SWy). During a short "initiation" stage, the basal spacing of SWy montmorillonite increased rapidly with logarithmic time. For SAz montmorillonite, however, the abrupt basal spacing increase occurred at a later stage of the reaction. From the results, it is assumed that the difference in the adsorption behavior exhibited by the two montmorillonite types partly arises from their intrinsic nature; that is, inorganic cations originally existed on the clay surfaces. Additionally, the micelle concentration of the surfactants affects the development of organomontmorillonite, especially in the intercalant formation and stabilization under nonequilibrium.     

Interaction of nonylphenyl and tributylphenyl ethylene oxide ionic surfactants with highly soluble cyclodextrin derivatives

The modification of the hydrophobicity of some ethoxylated nonylphenol and tributylphenol surfactants with various soluble -cyclodextrin polymers has been studied by reversed-phase chromatography. Stepwise regression analysis proved that the complex forming capacity of surfactants decreases with increasing diameter of the hydrophobic moiety of surfactants, the properties of the crosslinking agent used for preparation of the polymers has no significant effect on the host-guest interaction, the presence of carboxyl groups in the polymer considerably improved the complex stability.     

Interaction between anionic surfactants and oil dye in the aqueous solutions

The interactions between 4-phenylazo-1-naphthylamine and 6 sodium alkyl sulfates have been studied by a spectrophotometer. At lower concentrations than each CMC, 3 surfactants (octyl, decyl and dodecyl sulfate) and the dye formed hydrophobic complexes with a binding molar ratio of 11, while the others (tetradecyl, hexadecyl, and octadecyl sulfate) and the dye made 21 complexes. The wavelength of the maximal absorption is 440 nm in the former, and 520 nm in the latter. In the neighborhood of each CMC region, thermochromism occurred in every surfactant solution. The temperature at which the maximal absorption moved from 520 nm to 440 nm increased with an increase in the number of carbon atoms in the surfactant molecules. At higher concentrations than each CMC, in the case of the octyl and decyl sulfate, the maximal absorption occurred at the 440 nm band above room temperature; in the case of the dodecyl, tetradecyl, and hexadecyl sulfates, the maximal absorption occurred at the 520 nm band, regardless of temperature. In the case of octadecyl sulfate, the maximal absorption moved from 610 nm to 520 nm with increase in temperature. It is found that the protonation equilibrium of the dye is dependent on the micellar structure through the differences in the alkyl chain lengths of the surfactants, and the differences in interaction with surfactant crystals.