Blending effects on adsorption and micellization of different membrane protein solubilizers: a thermodynamic study on three mixed systems of CHAPS with MEGA-8, -9 and -10 in pH 7.2 phosphate buffer solution

By means of surface tension measurement (Wilhelmy method), micellization and adsorbed film formation were investigated for three combinations of mixed surfactant systems, all of which are used for solubilizing membrane proteins: a typical zwitterionic surfactant, CHAPS (a derivative of cholic acid) with n-alkyl (octyl, nonyl and decyl)-N-glucamides, MEGA-n (n=8, 9, 10). The data based on plotting of surface tension (gamma) versus logarithmic total molarity (or molality) (Ct or Mt) as a function of mole fraction of surfactant 2 (2 corresponds to MEGA-n's) enabled us to determine critical micellization concentration (CMC), minimum surface tension at CMC (gammaCMC), surface excess (Gamma(t)), mean molecular surface area (Am), the minimum Gibbs energy (Gmin(S)) of adsorbed film of both single and mixed surfactant systems and partial molecular area (PMA) in addition to parameters such as pC20 and CMC/C20 being related to synergism accompanied by blending (mixing) in regard to surface activity as well as micelle forming ability. On the basis of the regular solution theory, the relations of compositions of singly dispersed phase (X2), micellar phase (Y2) and adsorbed film (Z2) were estimated, and then the interaction parameters in micelles (omegaR) and in the adsorbed film phase (omegaA) were also calculated. From both the CMC-X2 and CMC-Y2 curves, it was found for all the combinations to show synergistically enhanced ability of mixed micelle formation as well as surface tension reduction. The resultant synergism coming from blending CHAPS with MEGA-n's was discussed in comparison with different combinations of various types of surfactants including membrane proteins solubilizers.     

Micellisation behaviour of mixtures of sodium dodecylsulphate and sodium lauroylsarcosinate in water

The critical micelle concentrations of binary mixtures of sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and sodium lauroylsarcosinate (SLAS) have been determined in water by conductivity measurements at different mole fractions for each of the components. The critical micelle concentrations were slightly lower than that predicted from ideal mixing theory indicating positive synergistic interactions in mixed micelle formation. The results of the mixed systems were analysed using the Regular Solution Theory and the approach based on the Gibbs–Duhem equation which allowed for the determination of the composition of the mixed micelle, the activity coefficients and the pair-wise molecular interaction parameter β. The β values were all negative at all mole fractions investigated, showing a slight deviation from ideality, with an average value of –0.27. The excess free energy of the mixed systems was also calculated and the values were all negative for the mixed systems studied, an indication that the mixed micelles are thermodynamically stable relative to the individual component. This thermodynamic parameter also exhibits symmetrical behaviour with respect to micellar composition suggestive of a regular solution behaviour of the mixed surfactant system.     

The aqueous catanionic system sodium perfluorooctanoate-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide at low concentration

The interaction between sodium perfluorooctanoate (SPFO) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) was studied by several methods and it was found strongly synergistic. Above a mole fraction of SPFO in the surfactant mixture (alpha(SPFO))=0.38, the interaction is repulsive and increases with the content of SPFO in both, the overall mixture and micelles, whereas the interaction is attractive if DTAB is in excess. At alpha(SPFO)=0.38 the low miscibility between hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon is counterbalanced by the electrostatic attraction between the opposite charged head groups, and the micelle composition is ideal (i.e., the mole fraction of SPFO in micelles X(SPFO)=alpha(SPFO)=0.38). The solubility of fluorocarbon in hydrocarbon is lower than that of hydrocarbon in fluorocarbon. Micelles of DTAB act as a solvent for SPFO without important structural changes, whilst micelles of SPFO undergo important changes when dissolve DTAB. This asymmetry may be interpreted as caused by the difference in chain length that favors the inclusion of the shorter chain in micelles of the longer surfactant, but disfavors the opposite process. Above X(SPFO)=0.5 there is an excess adsorption of bromide ions on the mixed micelles surface, giving rise to a high zeta potential. Micelles of pure SPFO or pure DTAB show an important energy barrier which prevents micelle flocculation. The inclusion of SPFO in DTAB micelles produces a reduction of the energy barrier, which disappeared when alpha(SPFO)=0.5. This produces the flocculation of micelles giving rise to the formation of a non-birefringent coacervate, which is probably formed by unordered isometric clusters of micelles.     

Comparing Decyl-beta-maltoside and Octaethyleneglycol Mono n-Decyl Ether in Mixed Micelles with Dodecyl Benzenesulfonate

In this study the mixed micelle behavior of an alkyl polyglycoside is compared to a surfactant of polyoxyethylene type, by means of surface tension measurements. The two nonionic surfactants are compared in mixed micelle systems together with an anionic surfactant. The surfactant mixtures are: decyl-beta-maltoside (C(10)M) with dodecyl benzenesulfonate (C(12)BS) and octaethyleneglycol mono n-decyl ether (C(10)EO(8)) with C(12)BS. The mixture of C(10)M and C(10)EO(8) is also studied. Critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the concentration at which the surface tension reduction is 20 mNm(-1) (C(20)) are determined at different mixing ratios of the surfactant mixtures. By applying the nonideal mixed micelle theory, interaction parameters at CMC (beta(CMC)) and C(20) (beta(C20)) are calculated for the surfactant mixtures. The results show that the C(10)M-C(12)BS mixture has a beta(CMC) parameter of -2.1, whereas the beta(CMC) parameter for the C(10)EO(8)-C(12)BS mixture is -3.3, indicating a weaker net attractive interaction between C(10)M and C(12)BS than between C(10)EO(8) and C(12)BS. This is attributed to a small negative and positive charge of the respective nonionic surfactants. This is supported by a slightly negative beta(CMC) parameter obtained for the surfactant mixture C(10)M-C(10)EO(8), indicating a small net attractive interaction between the two nonionic surfactants. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Novel fluorescent probe as aggregation predictor and micro-polarity reporter for micelles and mixed micelles

Aggregational behaviour of micelles sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS and Triton X-100, TX-100 both in pure and mixed form) and micelle like aggregates such as polymer-surfactant system [polymer poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), PVP]-SDS have been studied by using fluorescence characteristics of a newly synthesized probe. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values determined at various surfactant compositions are lower than the ideal values indicating a synergistic effect. The value of the interaction parameter for the surfactant mixture has been determined which agrees well with the value calculated according to molecular thermodynamic theory. The total aggregation number of surfactant in mixed micelle shows a drastic variation in the SDS mole fraction range 0 < or = alpha1 < or = 0.3 and beyond the range it remains practically constant. Molar-based partition coefficients for the dye between the micellar and aqueous phase have been determined and a non-linear variation is obtained for the mixed micellar system. Variations of micro-polarity in the mixed micellar region have been investigated as a function of surfactant composition and results have been explained in terms of a suitable realistic model.     

C9pPHCNa与C10TABr混合水溶液的表面吸附和胶团形成

羧酸盐Gemini表面活性剂C9pPHCNa与季铵盐表面活性剂十烷基三甲基溴化铵(C10TABr)混合水溶液的胶团生成能力、降低水表面张力的能力和效率均出现明显的增效. 当C9pPHCNa在溶液中的摩尔分数(α1)为0.33时，cmcT(临界胶团总浓度)、γcmc(临界胶团总浓度对应的表面张力)、c20,T(降低20 mN•m^-1水表面张力所需的表面活性剂总浓度)这3个指标均达到最低值，分别为0.60 mmol•L^-1、23.5 mN•m^-1和1.58×10^-5 mol•L^-1. 在所有考察的溶液比例范围内，二组分在混合胶团和表面吸附层中的组成均接近等摩尔比，表现出强烈的分子间相互作用.     

Variegated micelle surfaces: correlating the microstructure of mixed surfactant micelles with bulk solution properties

Electron paramagnetic resonance, viscosity, and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements have been used to study the interaction of mixed anionic/nonionic surfactant micelles with the polyampholytic protein gelatin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the nonionic surfactant dodecylmalono-bis-N-methylglucamide (C12BNMG) were chosen as "interacting" and "noninteracting" surfactants, respectively; SDS micelles bind strongly to gelatin but C12BNMG micelles do not. Further, the two surfactants interact synergistically in the absence of the gelatin. The effects of total surfactant concentration and surfactant mole fraction have been investigated. Previous work (Griffiths et al. Langmuir 2000, 16 (26), 9983-9990) has shown that above a critical solution mole fraction, mixed micelles bind to gelatin. This critical mole fraction corresponds to a micelle surface that has no displaceable water (Griffiths et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105 (31), 7465). On binding of the mixed micelle, the bulk solution viscosity increases, with the viscosity-surfactant concentration behavior being strongly dependent on the solution surfactant mole fraction. The viscosity at a stoichiometry of approximately one micelle per gelatin molecule observed in SDS-rich mixtures scales with the surface area of the micelle occupied by the interacting surfactant, SDS. Below the critical solution mole fraction, there is no significant increase in viscosity with increasing surfactant concentration. Further, the SANS behavior of the gelatin/mixed surfactant systems below the critical micelle mole fraction can be described as a simple summation of those arising from the separate gelatin and binary mixed surfactant micelles. By contrast, for systems above the critical micelle mole fraction, the SANS data cannot be described by such a simple approach. No signature from any unperturbed gelatin could be detected in the gelatin/mixed surfactant system. The gelatin scattering is very similar in form to the surfactant scattering, confirming the widely accepted picture that the polymer "wraps" around the micelle surface. The gelatin scattering in the presence of deuterated surfactants is insensitive to the micelle composition provided the composition is above the critical value, suggesting that the viscosity enhancement observed arises from the number and strength of the micelle-polymer contact points rather than the gelatin conformation per se.     

Interfacial and micellar properties of binary mixtures of surfactant and phospholipid in an aqueous medium

Mixed micelles formed by zwitterionic surfactant dimethyldodecylammniopropane sulfonate and short-chain phospholipid 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in different proportions in an aqueous medium have been studied physicochemically at an air/water interface and in the bulk by using interfacial tension and pyrene fluorescence intensity measurements, respectively. The critical micellar concentration and free energies of micellization and of interfacial adsorption have been determined. The interfacial study reveals that a mixed monolayer is formed at the air/water interface by the adsorption of surfactant and phospholipid monomers. This has been confirmed by evaluating the interfacial parameters; the maximum surface excess, the minimum area per molecule of a surface-active compound, and the Gibbs surface excess related to surface pressure. The nonideality of mixing, expressed in the terms of the regular solution interaction parameter, #, has negative values over the whole mole fraction range. The negative # values indicate the mutual synergism between the surfactant and phospholipid monomers. The equilibrium distribution of components between micelle and monomer phases was evaluated using a theoretical treatment based on excess thermodynamics quantities evaluated by Motomura's formulation.     

Synergistic interactions between zwitterionic surfactants derived from olive oil and an anionic surfactant

Abstract

The surface properties of the mixtures of zwitterionic surfactants derived from olive oil (carboxylbetaine-OCB and sulfobetaine-OSB) and anionic surfactant-sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) at different mole fractions were investigated by surface tension measurement. The influences of the addition of inorganic salts (NaCl, MgCl₂) on the surface activities in OCB/SDBS and OSB/SDBS systems were also studied. The result shows that the two mixed systems possess lower CMC values and higher surface activities over all mole fractions studied than their individual components. Meanwhile, the noticeable synergistic interactions of OCB/SDBS and OSB/SDBS were determined by the micelle interaction parameter (β^m) according to regular solution theory. It is observed that the mixed OCB/SDBS system at α_OCB?=?0.6 and the mixed OSB/SDBS system at α_OSB?=?0.6 exhibit the strongest synergism. In addition, the binary surfactant mixtures performed better surface activities upon addition of inorganic salts and the different valence state of mental ions of the inorganic salts had different surface ability effect on the mixed system: Mg²⁺?>?Na⁺.     

Mixed micellization and surface properties of non-ionic/cationic surfactants

We investigate the surface properties of aqueous binary mixtures of our cationic surfactant O-dodecyl-N,N′-diisopropylisourea hydrochloride (ISO-DIC C₁₂) with commercially available nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ether (TritonX-100) at different temperatures (288 to 303?K). The micellization behavior of the binary systems is studied by determining the surface tension and other important physicochemical parameters, such as the critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC(γ_cmc), Krafft Temperature (T_K), maximum excess concentration (Γ_max), minimum surface area per molecule (A_min), surface pressure at the CMC (П_cmc), and the adsorption efficiency (pC20) at the air/water interface. The study has additionally covered the calculation of thermodynamic parameters of micellization, including the standard Gibbs free energy, the standard enthalpy, the standard entropy, the free energy, and the Gibbs free energy of adsorption at air/water interface. The CMC values of the binary systems determined by experimental data are used to evaluate the micellar composition in the mixed micelle, the interaction parameter β and the activity coefficients f₁(ISO-DIC C₁₂) and f₂ (polyoxyethylene p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ether) using the theoretical treatment proposed by Clint and Rubingh. Our results reveal that the proposed binary systems possess enhanced surface activity compared to those of the individual surfactants.     

Anionic–Nonionic Mixed Surfactant Systems: Micellar Interaction and Thermodynamic Behavior

The interactions between an anionic surfactant, viz., sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and nonionic surfactants with different secondary ethoxylated chain length, viz., Tergitol 15-S-12, Tergitol 15-S-9, and Tergitol 15-S-7 have been studied in the present article. An attempt has also been made to investigate the effect of ethoxylated chain length on the micellar and the thermodynamic properties of the mixed surfactant systems. The micellar properties like critical micelle concentration (CMC), micellar composition (X_A), interaction parameter (β), and the activity coefficients (f_A and f_NI) have been evaluated using Rubingh's regular solution theory. In addition to micellar studies, thermodynamic parameters like the surface pressure (Π_CMC), surface excess values (Γ_CMC), average area of the monomers at the air–water interface (A_avg), free energy of micellization (ΔG_m), minimum energy at the air–water interface (G_min), etc., have also been calculated. It has been found that in mixtures of anionic and nonionic secondary ethoxylated surfactants, a surfactant containing a smaller ethoxylated chain is favored thermodynamically. Additionally, the adsorption of nonionic species on air/water interface and micelle increases with decreasing secondary ethoxylated chain length. Dynamic light scattering and viscometric studies have also been performed to study the interactions between anionic and nonionic surfactants used.     

Properties of binary surfactant systems of nonionic surfactants C12E10, C12E23, and C12E42 with a cationic gemini surfactant in aqueous solutions

Properties of binary surfactant systems of nonionic surfactants poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) lauryl ethers (C(12)E(10), C(12)E(23), C(12)E(42)) with a cationic gemini surfactant, butanediyl-α,ω-bis(tetradecyldimethylammonium bromide) (14-4-14), have been investigated by Steady-state Fluorescence (FL), zeta potential, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy (CryoTEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Through FL measurements, critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the three binary systems for different mixing mole fractions is determined and the values fall between those of pure constituent surfactants. Ideal CMC (CMC(ideal)), mole fraction in aggregates (X), interaction parameter (β), activity coefficients (f(1) and f(2)), and excess free energy of mixing (ΔG(ex)) have been calculated. All these parameters indicate nonideal behavior and synergistic interactions between the constituent surfactants, which is explained in terms of electrostatic attraction between headgroups of constituent surfactants and reduction of electrostatic repulsion between headgroups of 14-4-14 due to the presence of nonionic surfactants. DLS, TEM and CryoTEM results show that nonionic surfactants facilitate the formation of larger aggregates. Micelles and vesicles in larger size compared with those of 14-4-14 coexist in the mixed solutions. Both surfactant composition and PEO chain length are found to play a strong effect on the properties of the binary systems.     

全氟辛酸钠与十二烷基三甲基溴化铵混合胶束微环境性质的NMR,ESR研究

应用表面张力法、NMR法和ESR法研究了全氟辛酸钠(SPFO)-十二烷基三甲基溴化铵(DTAB)混合体系水溶液胶束形成及混合胶束的微环境性质(微观粘度、微观极性等)。结果表明, 碳氟表面活性剂碳氟链和碳氢表面活性剂碳氢链之间具有强烈的相互作用, DTAB与SPFO在水溶液中形成混合胶束。DTAB与SPFO混合体系的表面活性高于单一的DTAB或SPFO, 混合体系cmc较单一的DTAB和SPFO低。DTAB与SPFO混合胶束的微观粘度较DTAB胶束的大, 而微观极性较DTAB的小。     

Miscibility of sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium decyl sulfate in the adsorbed film and micelle

The interfacial tension of the aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium decyl sulfate (SDeS) mixture against hexane was measured as a function of the total molality and composition of the surfactant mixture at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. The compositions of adsorbed film and micelle were evaluated numerically by applying the thermodynamic relations to the experimental results. These results were shown in the form of the phase diagrams of adsorption and micelle formation and compared with those of the aqueous solution of sodium perfluorooctanoate (SPFO) and SDeS mixture. It was found that the diagrams of SDS and SDeS system have swollen cigar shapes and are quite different from those of SPFO and SDeS system which show non-ideal mixing both in the adsorbed film and micelle. This finding was attributed to the fact that the interaction between fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon chains is weaker than that between hydrocarbon chains.     

Electrolyte effect on mixed micelle and interfacial properties of binary mixtures of cationic and nonionic surfactants

In the present work, the adsorption behavior at the liquid-air interface and micellization characteristics of mixtures of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) polyoxyethylene (TritonX-100) in aqueous media containing different concentrations of NaBr were investigated by surface tension and potentiometry measurements. From plots of surface tension (gamma) as a function of solution composition and total surfactant concentration, we determined the critical micelle concentration (CMC), minimum surface tension at the CMC (gamma(CMC)), surface excess (Gamma(max)), and mean molecular surface area (A(min)). On the basis of regular solution theory, the compositions of the adsorbed film (Z) and micelles (X(M)) were estimated, and then the interaction parameters in the micelles (beta(M)) and in the adsorbed film phase (beta(sigma)) were calculated. For all mole fraction ratios, the results showed synergistically enhanced ability to form mixed micelles as well as surface tension reduction. Furthermore beta was calculated by considering nonrandom mixing and head group size effects. It was observed that, for both the planar air/aqueous interface and micellar systems, the nonideality decreased as the amount of electrolyte in the aqueous medium was increased. This was attributed to a decrease of the surface charge density caused by increasing the concentration of bromide ions.     

Binary mixed micelles of chiral sodium undecenyl leucinate and achiral sodium undecenyl sulfate: I. Characterization and application as pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Sodium 10-undecenyl sulfate (SUS), sodium 10-undecenyl leucinate (SUL) and their five different mixed micelles at varied percent mole ratios were prepared. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), C₂₀, γ_CMC, partial specific volume, methylene group selectivity, mobilities and elution window were determined using a variety of analytical techniques. These surfactant systems were then evaluated as novel pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). As a commonly used pseudostationary phase in MEKC, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was also evaluated. The CMC values of SUS and SUL were found to be 26 and 16 mM, respectively, whereas the CMC of mixed surfactants was found to be very similar to that of SUL. The C₂₀ values decreased dramatically as the concentration of SUL is increased in the mixed micelle. An increase in SUL content gradually increased the methylene group selectivity making the binary mixed surfactants more hydrophobic. Linear solvation energy relationships (LSERs) and free energy of transfer studies were also applied to predict the selectivity differences between the surfactant systems. The cohesiveness and the hydrogen bond acidic character of the surfactant systems were found to have the most significant influence on selectivity and MEKC retention. The SUS and SDS showed the strongest while SUL showed the weakest hydrogen bond donating capacity. The basicity, interaction with n and π-electrons of the solute and dipolarity/polarizability were the least significant factors in LSER model for the surfactant systems studied. Free energies of transfer of selected functional groups in each surfactant systems were also calculated and found to be in good agreement with the LSER data.     

Solution properties of mixed surfactant systems (IV)

Electric properties of mixed anionic-nonionic surfactant systems in aqueous solutions above the CMC have been studied in terms of pNa values, electrical conductivities, and dielectric constants; these systems are sodium 3, 6, 9-trioxaicosanoate (ECL) — alkyl polyoxyethylene ethers (C_mPOE; m=12, 14, 16, and 18). The degree of ionic dissociation of mixed micelle increases with increasing the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl group in the nonionic surfactant. The electrical conductivity increases with increasing the alkyl chain length in the nonionic surfactant, in spite of the increase of the activation energy for conduction. The size of mixed micelles also increases with increasing alkyl chain length. This may be attributed to the fact that the mixed micelle is formed more easily by a nonionic surfactant including long alkyl chains than for one having shorter alkyl chains.     

Properties of aqueous solution of sodium glycocholate and a nonionic surfactant,and their mixtures

The micellar properties of aqueous binary mixed solutions of sodium glycocholate, NaGC, and octa-oxyethylene glycol mono-n-decyl ether, C₁₀E₈, have been studied on the basis of surface tensions, the mean aggregation number and the polarity of the interior of the micelles. The mean aggregation number, measured by steady state quenching method, decreased with the increase of the mole fraction of NaGC in the mixed system. The polarity of the interior, estimated by the ratio of first and third vibronic peak in a monomeric pyrene fluorescence emission spectrum, suggested that the hydrophobicity of intramicelles increased with the increase of the mole fraction of NaGC in the mixed system. These are considered to be caused by the differences in the chemical structure and the hydrophobic nature between NaGC and C₁₀E₈. The mean aggregation number and the polarity of the interior for each micelle near the CMC in lower total concentration of surfactants showed the tendency approaching those of pure micelle of the nonionic surfactant. This suggests that the ratio of NaGC in the initial micelles in the range of lower total concentration near the CMC is lower than that of the corresponding prepared mole fraction in the mixed system. This lower value was confirmed also from theoretical calculation of the ratio of NaGC at the CMC in the mixed micelle by regular solution treatment of Rubingh in the solution.     

Miscibility of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride in surface-adsorbed film and micelle

Surface tension of aqueous solutions of mixtures of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) has been measured and analyzed by using thermodynamic relations. The adsorbed film has been found to contain more DTAB molecules than the solution. The shape formed by the curves of the total molality at constant surface tension against the solution and surface compositions indicates the ideal mixing of the DTAB and DTAC molecules in the adsorbed film. Micellar composition has been estimated at the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The micelles have been found to be richer in DTAB than the solution, but poorer in DTAB than the adsorbed film at the CMC. The DTAB and DTAC molecules have been shown to mix ideally in the micelles. From the comparison with the results on the system of decylammonium bromide and decylammonium chloride, it has been concluded that, on the mixing of surfactants differing only in counter ions, the adsorbed film is influenced more significantly by the ionic head group of the surfactant than the micelle.     

Unusual behavior of CMC for binary mixtures of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides: dependence on chain length difference

The critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of binary mixtures of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides (CnTAB) were measured by a conductivity method. The CMCs of C12TAB-C14TAB and C14TAB-C16TAB systems exhibit the usual behavior, namely a monotonic decrease of the CMC with the mole fraction of the longer chain surfactant. However, the CMC behaviors of C10TAB-C16TAB, C11TAB-C16TAB, C12TAB-C16TAB, and C11TAB-C14TAB are unusual. The behaviors of the CMCs with mole fraction for these systems consist of three regions, of which the first is characterized by a very small decrease of the CMC in the range of low mole fraction, followed by a second where there is an abrupt decrease of the CMC, and a third where the CMCs exhibit their usual behavior. The molecular interaction parameter omega is almost equal to zero for mixtures that have the usual CMC behavior, but is small and positive for those systems with unusual CMCs. We infer that for very low mole fractions of C16TAB, the C16TA ion in the C12TAB-C16TAB system penetrates imperfectly into the micelle and its two methylene groups exist outside the micelle.