Viscoelastic micellar water/CTAB/NaNO(3) solutions: rheology, SANS and cryo-TEM analysis

Aqueous micellar solutions of the cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium nitrate (NaNO(3)) were examined using steady and dynamic rheology, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Upon addition of NaNO(3), the CTAB spherical micelles transform into long, flexible wormlike micelles, conveying viscoelastic properties to the solutions. The zero-shear viscosity (eta(0)) versus NaNO(3) concentration curve exhibits a well-defined maximum. Likewise, upon increase in temperature, the viscosity decreases. Dynamic rheological data of the entangled micellar solutions can be well described by the Maxwell model. Changes in the structural parameters of the micelles with addition of NaNO(3) were inferred from SANS measurements. The intensity of scattered neutrons at the low q region was found to increase with increasing NaNO(3) concentration. This suggests an increase in size of the micelles and/or decrease of intermicellar interactions with increasing salt concentration. Analysis of the SANS data using prolate ellipsoidal structure and Yukawa form of interaction potential between micelles indicates that addition of NaNO(3) leads to a decrease in the surface charge of the ellipsoidal micelles and consequently an increase in their length. The structural transition from spherical to entangled threadlike micelles, induced by the addition of NaNO(3) to CTAB micelles is further confirmed by cryo-TEM.     

Three-dimensional confinement-related size changes to mixed-surfactant vesicles

The effect of three-dimensional confinement on the size and morphology of a vesicular surfactant mesophase obtained by mixing micellar solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid has been studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The confined spaces were generated by the random close packing of polystyrene beads of radius Rb=1.5, 0.25, and 0.1 microm, creating voids of characteristic dimensions R approximately 0.22 Rb=3300, 550, and 220 A, respectively. These void length scales were comparable to or less than the radii of vesicles formed in the system under conditions of no confinement. Vesicles, made by mixing 0.8 wt % micellar solutions of surfactant in a water/D2O mixture that is contrast-matched with the polystyrene beads, were added in a SANS scattering cell without beads, as well as three cells with the different sized beads. The SANS data from the sample without confinement was best fitted by a core-shell model and not by spheres or disks, confirming the presence of vesicles. The data from samples in the confined domains also showed vesicles as the dominant structure. The most important result is that the mean size of these vesicles decreases as the confinement length scale is reduced. A simple thermodynamic model accounting for the balance between increased enthalpy when vesicles with curvature higher than the preferred one are formed, and increased free volume entropy for smaller vesicles supports the experimental data. While these results are focused on a specific vesicle system, the broad principles behind changes in microstructure produced by confinement are applicable to other surfactant aggregates. The results of this study are potentially important for understanding the flow of drug delivery vehicles through microcapillaries, in the recovery of oil from fine pores in rocks using surfactant containing fluids, micellar enhanced ultrafiltration, or in other situations where the size of surfactant aggregate structures approach the length scales between confining walls.     

Small angle neutron scattering study of sodium dodecyl sulfate micellar growth driven by addition of a hydrotropic salt

The structures of aggregates formed in aqueous solutions of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), with the addition of a cationic hydrotropic salt, p-toluidine hydrochloride (PTHC), have been investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The SANS spectra exhibit a pronounced peak at low salt concentration, indicating the presence of repulsive intermicellar interactions. Model-independent real space information about the structure is obtained from a generalized indirect Fourier transformation (GIFT) technique in combination with a suitable model for the interparticle structure factor. The interparticle interaction is captured using the rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) closure relation and a Yukawa form of the interaction potential. Further quantification of the geometrical parameters of the micelles was achieved by a complete fit of the SANS data using a prolate ellipsoidal form factor and the RMSA structure factor. The present study shows that PTHC induces a decrease in the fractional charge of the micelles due to adsorption at the micellar surface and consequent growth of the SDS micelles from nearly globular to rodlike as the concentration of PTHC increases.     

Temperature-induced intermicellization and contraction in aqueous mixtures of sodium dodecyl sulfate and an amphiphilic diblock copolymer

Aqueous solutions of a thermoresponsive amphiphilic diblock copolymer, containing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), in the presence of the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant can undergo a temperature-induced transition from loose intermicellar clusters to collapsed core–shell nanostructures. The polymer–surfactant mixtures have been characterized with the aid of turbidity, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), intensity light scattering (ILS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), shear viscosity, and rheo-small angle light scattering (rheo-SALS). In the absence of SDS, compressed intermicellar structures are formed at intermediate temperatures, and at higher temperatures further aggregation is detected. The SANS results disclose a structure peak in the scattered intensity profile at the highest measured temperature. This peak is ascribed to the formation of ordered structures (crystallites). In the presence of a low amount of SDS, a strong collapse of the intermicellar clusters is observed at moderate temperatures, and only a slight renewed interpolymer association is found at higher temperatures because of repulsive electrostatic interactions. Finally, at moderate surfactant concentrations, temperature-induced loose intermicellar clusters are detected but no shrinking was registered in the considered temperature range. At a high level of SDS addition, large polymer–surfactant complexes appear at low temperatures, and these species are compressed at elevated temperatures. The rheo-SALS results show that the transition structures are rather fragile under the influence of shear flow.     

Structure of BRIJ-35 nonionic surfactant in water: a reverse Monte Carlo study

There are some contradictions in the literature on the structure of micelles formed by the BRIJ-35 surfactant in water. One can find reasonable differences in the aggregation numbers and micellar sizes, but there is a lack of data on the intermicellar structure. In this study, we reevaluated the small-angle neutron scattering experiments performed previously on the BRIJ-35 surfactant in the concentration range of 5-200 g/dm3 at 20, 40, and 60 degrees C. The data were analyzed with a reverse Monte Carlo-type method developed recently for colloids. The micelles were modeled as spherical cores representing the hydrophobic parts and number of balls put on the cores to mimic the hydrated hydrophilic chains. The simulations provided data on the mean aggregation number and on the extent of hydration of the hydrophilic shell of the micelles. We obtained intermicellar pair-correlation functions indicating different micelle-micelle interactions from the usually assumed hard-sphere ones.     

Shape and Structure Formation of Mixed Nonionic–Anionic Surfactant Micelles

Aqueous solutions of a nonionic surfactant (either Tween20 or BrijL23) and an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) are investigated, using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SANS spectra are analysed by using a core-shell model to describe the form factor of self-assembled surfactant micelles; the intermicellar interactions are modelled by using a hard-sphere Percus–Yevick (HS-PY) or a rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) structure factor. Choosing these specific nonionic surfactants allows for comparison of the effect of branched (Tween20) and linear (BrijL23) surfactant headgroups, both constituted of poly-ethylene oxide (PEO) groups. The nonionic–anionic surfactant mixtures are studied at various concentrations up to highly concentrated samples (ϕ ≲ 0.45) and various mixing ratios, from pure nonionic to pure anionic surfactant solutions. The scattering data reveal the formation of mixed micelles already at concentrations below the critical micelle concentration of SDS. At higher volume fractions, excluded volume effects dominate the intermicellar structuring, even for charged micelles. In consequence, at high volume fractions, the intermicellar structuring is the same for charged and uncharged micelles. At all mixing ratios, almost spherical mixed micelles form. This offers the opportunity to create a system of colloidal particles with a variable surface charge. This excludes only roughly equimolar mixing ratios (X≈ 0.4–0.6) at which the micelles significantly increase in size and ellipticity due to specific sulfate–EO interactions.     

Structure and interactions of block copolymer micelles of Brij 700 studied by combining small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering

Spherical micelles of the diblock copolymer/surfactant Brij 700 (C(18)EO(100)) in water (D(2)O) solution have been investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SAXS and SANS experiments are combined to obtain complementary information from the two different contrast conditions of the two techniques. Solutions in a concentration range from 0.25 to 10 wt % and at temperatures from 10 to 80 degrees C have been investigated. The data have been analyzed on absolute scale using a model based on Monte Carlo simulations, where the micelles have a spherical homogeneous core with a graded interface surrounded by a corona of self-avoiding, semiflexible interacting chains. SANS and SAXS data were fitted simultaneously, which allows one to obtain extensive quantitative information on the structure and profile of the core and corona, the chain interactions, and the concentration effects. The model describes the scattering data very well, when part of the EO chains are taken as a "background"contribution belonging to the solvent. The effect of this becomes non-negligible at polymer concentrations as low as 2 wt %, where overlap of the micellar coronas sets in. The results from the analysis on the micellar structure, interchain interactions, and structure factor effects are all consistent with a decrease in solvent quality of water for the PEO block as the theta temperature of PEO is approached.     

Ringing gels: Their structure and macroscopic properties

The phase diagram of the ternary surfactant system which consists of dimethyltetradecylaminoxide, hydrocarbon, and water contains a highly elastic gel phase which borders on the micellarL ₁-phase. This gel phase is transparent, optically isotropic, and shows the ringing phenomena when it is excited to mechanical vibrations. From SANS and light-scattering measurements it is shown that this phase consists of the same spherical microemulsion droplets which are present in the adjacent micellar solution. Even in the micellar solution the droplets are fairly monodisperse and in the SANS scattering functions a second scattering maximum was observed. Both the light scattering and SANS data can be described quantitatively on the basis of hard sphere interactions between the particles. Furthermore, it is shown that elasticity and shear modulus of the gel phase, which were determined experimentally, correlate with the compressibility modulus as calculated from the scattering data. The elasticity modulus and hence the osmotic compressibility modulus are related to the Laplace pressure inside the globules. For the calculation of this pressure it is possible to take the interfacial tension, which is obtained from a dilute micellar solution against the hydrocarbon which is used for the system. The radius of the particles and the hydrocarbon content in the system can be increased when some of the dimethyltetradecylaminoxide is replaced by dimethyltetradecylphosphinoxide.     

Static and dynamic structures of spherical nonionic surfactant micelles during the disorder-order transition

We have investigated the static and dynamic structures of nonionic surfactant micelles, a C(12)E(8)/water binary system, during the disorder-order transition using small angle x-ray scattering, static light scattering, and dynamic light scattering techniques. In the disordered phase, the micelles have spherical shape and intermicellar interactions are governed by the hard core and weak long ranged attractive potentials. With increase of the micellar concentration, the disordered micelles transform to the three characteristic ordered micellar phases, a hexagonally close packed lattice, a body centered cubic lattice, and an A15 lattice having area-minimizing structure. The stability of these phases is well explained by balance of a close packing rule and a minimal-area rule proposed by Ziherl and Kamien [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3528 (2000)]. The role of hydrodynamic interactions in surfactant micellar solutions was compared with that in hard sphere colloidal particle suspensions.     

A small-angle X-ray scattering study of the structure of lysozyme-sodium dodecyl sulfate complexes

The structure of lysozyme-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) complexes in solution is studied using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The SAXS data cannot be explained by the necklace and bead model for unfolded polypeptide chain interspersed with surfactant micelles. For the protein and surfactant concentrations used in the study, there is only marginal growth of SDS micelles as they complex with the protein. Being a small and rather rigid protein, lysozyme can penetrate the micellar core which is occupied by flexible and disordered paraffin chains and also the shell occupied by the hydrated head groups. A partially embedded swollen micellar model seems appropriate and describes well the scattering data. The SAXS intensity profiles are analyzed by considering the change in the electron scattering length density of the micellar core and shell due to complexation with protein and treating the intermicellar interaction using rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) for charged spheres.     

Microemulsion droplets decorated by Brij700 block copolymer: phase behavior and structural investigation by SAXS and SANS

The phase behavior and structure of a four-component microemulsion system forming droplets with an oil core surrounded by the non-ionic C12E5 surfactant in water and "decorated" by long PEO chains using the block copolymer/surfactant Brij 700 has been studied. The surfactant-to-oil volume ratio, the coverage density of the droplets with decorating molecules, and the temperature were varied. For a surfactant-to-oil volume ratio of 2, the solutions form isotropic and clear solutions at room temperature, and the addition of Brij molecules stabilize the micelles: the transition to an opaque phase is shifted to higher temperatures as the surface coverage increases. At a surfactant-to-oil ratio of 1, the isotropic microemulsion phase is confined to a very narrow range of temperature, which location is shifted to increasing temperature, as the amount of Brij at the surface of the droplet is increased. For large surface coverages, the lower emulsification boundary varies roughly linearly with the surface coverage. The structure of the droplet phase was investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). For a surfactant-to-oil ratio of 2, the SANS data revealed a transition from rodlike to spherical particles when Brij molecules are added to the system, which induces a larger curvature of the surfactant film. For a surfactant-to-oil ratio of 1, the droplets are nearly spherical at all surface coverages. The intermicellar interactions effects become increasingly more pronounced as Brij is added, due to the introduction of the highly swollen corona. A quantitative analysis of some of the SAXS data was done using an advanced model based on Monte Carlo simulations. It demonstrates the strong chain-chain interactions within the corona and confirms the increased interparticle interactions, as the coverage density is increased.     

Analysis of small angle neutron scattering data from strongly interacting polydisperse ionic micellar solutions

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) intensity distributions from ionic micellar solutions without added salt generally show a prominent interaction peak at finite Q (magnitude of the wave vector transfer) related to a certain inter-micellar correlation distance. Analysis of this type of data requires, aside from the structural model of the micelle itself, a statistical mechanical theory for dealing with the inter-micellar correlations. We present a method for a consistent analysis of SANS data taking into account the surfactant chain packing, the aggregation number polydispersity, and the effective micellar charge. The micelle is modelled as a two-region spheroidal particle and the inter-micellar correlations calculated according to a generalized one-component macroion (GOCM) theory. GOCM uses an effective inter-micellar pair potential which is a finite concentration extension of the well-known Derjaguin-Landau-Verway-Overbeek (DLVO) double layer interaction potential. Two micellar solutions are treated as examples, namely that of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium 1,2-bis(2-ethylhexyloxycarbonyl)ethanesulfonate (AOT). The effects of polydispersity are appreciable immediately above the critical micellar concentrations (CMC). Both the structural parameters of the micelle and the free energies of micellization and micellar growth can be extracted from SANS data.     

A phenol-induced structural transition in aqueous cetyltrimethylammonium bromide solution

The effect of phenol on the structure of micellar solution of a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated using viscosity, dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The relative viscosity and apparent hydrodynamic diameters of the micelles in CTAB solution increase initially and then decrease with addition of phenol. SANS studies indicate a prolate ellipsoidal structure of the micelles. The axial ratio of the prolate ellipsoidal micelles increases and then decreases with addition of phenol, consistently with DLS and viscosity measurements. NMR studies confirm the solubilization of phenol to the palisade layer and growth of the micelles at high concentration of phenol as revealed from the broadening of peaks.     

SANS study of tuning of clouding in charged micellar system

We report the phenomenon of clouding in charged micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant with varying concentration of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) salt. The cloud point (CP) temperature is found to decrease significantly with TBAB concentration. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) studies have been performed on these systems to understand the evolution of structure and interaction of micelles prior and after the CP. Data are analyzed using Baxter’s sticky hard-sphere potential between the micelles as approaching the CP. It is found that the attractive potential amongst micelles increases with temperature leading to clustering at CP. Both the micelles and clusters coexist at CP and even at temperatures much higher than CP. The propensity of cluster formation strongly depends on the TBAB concentration where higher TBAB concentration provides smaller temperature range over which the clusters are formed. SANS data from clusters show a Porod scattering in the low-Q region, suggesting a very large size of the clusters. The stability of these clusters against phase separation is examined by the time-dependent SANS and compared for different TBAB concentrations.     

Effect of solvent quality on aggregate structures of common surfactants

Aggregate structures of two model surfactants, AOT and C12E5 are studied in pure solvents D2O, dioxane-d8 (d-diox) and cyclohexane-d12 (C6D12) as well as in formulated D2O/d-diox and d-diox/C6D12 mixtures. As such these solvents and mixtures span a wide and continuous range of polarities. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been employed to follow an evolution of the preferred aggregate curvature, from normal micelles in high polarity solvents, through to reversed micelles in low polarity media. SANS has also been used to elucidate the micellar size, shape as well as to highlight intermicellar interactions. The results shed new light on the nature of aggregation structures in intermediate polarity solvents, and point to a region of solvent quality (as characterized by Hildebrand Solubility Parameter, Snyder polarity parameter or dielectric constant) in which aggregation is not favored. Finally these observed trends in aggregation as a function of solvent quality are successfully used to predict the self-assembly behavior of C12E5 in a different solvent, hexane-d14 (C6D14).     

荧光和动态光散射方法研究两性表面活性剂胶束的聚集和相互作用

以芘为荧光探针、二苯酮为猝灭剂,利用荧光方法测定了两性表面活性剂N-十二烷基-N,N-二甲基氨基丙磺酸盐(DDAPS)胶束在不同温度和不同NaCl浓度下的聚集数。利用动态光散射方法得到了胶束的水力半径Rh.结果表明,DDAPS的胶束聚集数和Rh值随NaCl浓度的升高略有增大;随温度的升高而稍有下降。DDAPS胶束之间的作用力以排斥力为主。     

Partitioning of macrocyclic compounds in a cationic and an anionic micellar solution: a small-angle neutron scattering study

Following a previous investigation on partitioning of some macrocycle compounds in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) aqueous solutions and their effect on the micellar structure, a small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study has been performed at fixed surfactant content (0.20 mol/L) and varying macrocycle concentrations from 0.20 up to 1.0 mol/L. Conductivity measurements have been also performed in order to evaluate the effect of the presence of macrocycles on the critical micellar concentration (cmc) of the two surfactants. SANS experimental data were fitted successfully by means of a core-plus-shell monodisperse prolate ellipsoid model. It has been found that 1,4,7,10,13,16-esaoxacyclooctadecane (18C6) and 4,7,13,16-tetraoxa-1,10-diazacyclooctadecane (22) do not interact with DTAB micelles whereas their sodium complexes interact with SDS aggregates and partially localize, as a consequence of electrostatic interaction, on the micellar surface or in the Stern layer. 2,5,8,11,14,17-Hexaoxabicyclo[16.4.0] dicosane (B18C6), as a consequence of the increased hydrophobic character with respect to 18C6, interacts with DTAB hydrocarbon chains and partially localizes in the inner part of micelles. This finding has been successfully used to justify the higher amount of B18C6 compared to the 18C6 one found in the SDS micellar phase. The substituted crown ether has been found localized both on the micelle surface via complex formation and in the inner part of micelles as a consequence of the increased hydrophobic character. For all systems, the aggregate size primarily decreases with the amount of macrocycle in the micellar phase. The interpretation of cmc trends as a function ofmacrocycle concentration gives information on its distribution between micellar and aqueous phases that is in line with SANS results.     

Reduction of micellar size of PEO−PPO−PEO triblock copolymer in presence of ionic liquid in aqueous solutions: A SANS study

The interaction of ionic liquids (ILs) with non-ionic triblock copolymer, Pluronic® P123, in aqueous solutions has been investigated using Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) measurements. The micellar structural parameters are obtained by fitting the SANS scattering data with model composed of core-shell form factor and a hard sphere structure factor of interaction, as a function of cationic head group of ILs. With the addition of ILs, a decrease in the micellar core, aggregation number, and hard sphere radius of P123 micelles was noticed. The results are discussed and explained as a function of cationic head groups of N-octylpyridinium/imidazolium chloride.     

Electrolyte effect on adsorption and the phase transition from microstructures to nanostructures in ionic/ionic surfactants mixture

The effect of salt concentration on intermicellar interactions and aggregate structures of anionic and cationic-rich mixtures of CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) were investigated with conductometry, surface tension, zeta potential, cyclic voltammetry measurements and by determining the surfactant NMR self-diffusion coefficients. The critical aggregate concentration (CAC), surface excess (Γ(max)), and mean molecular surface area (A(min)) were determined from plots of the surface tension (γ) as a function of the log of total surfactant concentration. The electrochemical behavior of cationic-anionic (catanionic) mixed surfactant and self-assembled surfactant monomers at Pt wire electrode were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). A variation in the peak current versus the total concentration of surfactant allow us to evaluate the CAC and related parameters from regular solution theory along with the diffusion coefficient of the electroactive species. 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. Finally, we investigated the variations of electrostatic, transfer and steric free energy in phase transition between mixed micelle and vesicle in the presence of electrolyte using the presented model by our groups.     

Rheo-SANS studies on shear-thickening/thinning in aqueous rodlike micellar solutions

Shear-induced thickening/thinning phenomena of aqueous rodlike micellar solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium p-toluene sulfonate (NapTS) were investigated by means of simultaneous measurements of rheology and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), the so-called Rheo-SANS. The aqueous CTAB/NapTS solutions were classified into five different categories dependent on their flow behavior and micellar structure. By increasing salt concentration and/or shear rates, the micelles underwent morphological transition from (i) spherical or short rodlike micelles to (ii) long rodlike micelles without entanglements, followed by (iii) those with entanglements. These transitions were recognized as changes in flow behavior from Newtonian to shear-thickening and shear-thinning flow, respectively. In the latter two cases, anisotropic SANS patterns appeared around these critical shear rates. The physical meaning of the anisotropic SANS patterns accompanied by shear-thickening flow behavior is discussed in conjunction with other shear-thickening systems.