Micelle formation by N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide in ethylammonium nitrate

The aggregation behavior of long-chain pyrrolidinium ionic liquids, N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C_nMPB, n = 12, 14, and 16) was investigated by surface tension measurements in a protic room temperature ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), at various temperatures. A series of parameters, including critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension at the CMC (γ_CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (Π_CMC), maximum surface excess concentration (Γ_max), and the area occupied per surfactant molecule at the air/solution interface (A_min) were estimated. From these parameters, we demonstrated that the surface activity of C_nMPB is much lower in EAN than that in water. Comparing C_nMPB with alkylimidazolium bromides and alkylpyridinium bromides, the effect of the cationic group on micellization in EAN was also investigated. The thermodynamic analysis of micellization revealed that the micelle formation process for C_nMPB (n = 12, 14, and 16) is entropy-driven at low temperature and enthalpy-driven at high temperature. The micelle aggregation number estimated from the ¹H NMR data is about 21 for C₁₂MPB in EAN, which is much less than that in water. The results of the surface tension measurements and ¹H NMR spectra indicate that the [CH₃CH₂NH₃]⁺ cations of EAN exist around the head groups of C_nMPB when micelles are formed and the NO₃⁻ ions are adsorbed at the micelle surface.     

Introducing hydroxyl into cationic surfactants as viscoelastic surfactant fracturing fluid with high temperature resistance

The viscoelastic surfactant (VES) fracturing fluid is new fracturing system, which is primarily made up of viscoelastic surfactant and some other auxiliaries. The traditional VES fracturing fluid has the obvious advantages in gel breaking, flowing back, carrying sands, etc. However, they are centered largely in the aspects of medium and low temperature system. In this paper, the work is focus on the need for the VES fracturing fluid with high temperature resistance. In the experiment, four kinds of viscoelastic surfactants with hydroxyl were firstly synthesized, which were named C₁₄-1, C₁₆-1, C₁₄-2 and C₁₆-2 respectively. Then the formulation of VES fracturing fluid was determined in accordance with the apparent viscosity of solution, and the formulation was that concentration of C₁₆-2 and NaSal were 2.5% and 1% respectively. It was found that the VES fracturing fluid has excellent effectiveness via testing properties of temperature resistance, shear stability, sand-carrying and gel breaking. When the temperature of system was 144°C, the apparent viscosity of the VES fracturing fluid was 25 mPa s, which could demand the requirements of carrying sands as well as support agents, and it could resist high temperature well. It is also observed that the VES fracturing fluid is the pseudoplastic fluid, which contributes to getting the cracks with excellent negotiability.     

Investigation on the interaction between C16TAB and NaCMC in semidilute aqueous solution based on rheological measurement

The rheological behavior of unentangled and entangled semidilute solution of anionic polyelectrolyte sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) containing cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TAB) was investigated. The results reveal that the rheological properties of these semidilute NaCMC solutions depend on the amount of C₁₆TAB added. In the unentangled semidilute NaCMC solution (0.5 g/L), the viscosity decreases with the increase of C₁₆TAB amount in the low surfactant concentration region (below the critical aggregation concentration, CAC). However, in high surfactant concentrations (above CAC), the viscosity decreases sharply with the increase in C₁₆TAB amount. It is found that viscosity change of NaCMC solution could be described using Colby’s model when surfactant concentrations are between CAC and saturated concentration (C_s), suggesting that no inter-polymer interaction exists between C₁₆TAB and NaCMC in the unentangled semidilute solution. However, for the entangled semidilute NaCMC solution (5 g/L), the addition of C₁₆TAB leads to an increase in viscosity. Meanwhile, the solution exhibits an enhanced shear thinning behavior due to adding more C₁₆TAB than 1 mM. The viscosity increase is ascribed to the physical cross linking of surfactant micelles with NaCMC chains. Furthermore, it is suggested that the enhanced shear thinning behavior results from weak interaction between NaCMC chains and C₁₆TAB micelles.     

Rheological behavior of PAA–C n TAB complex: influence of PAA charge density and surfactant tail length in PAA semidilute aqueous solution

Interactions between anionic polyelectrolyte, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), and cationic surfactant, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (C _n TAB), were investigated by rheological measurements in semidilute PAA solution. The dependences of the rheological behavior on the chain length of the surfactant, PAA neutralization degree, and temperature were discussed. The results revealed that both dodecyl and cetyltrimethylammonium bromides (C₁₂TAB and C₁₆TAB) could increase the viscosity of PAA solution when the surfactant amounts surpassed a critical surfactant concentration (C _c), and C _c of C₁₆TAB was lower than that of C₁₂TAB at same PAA neutralization degree. The increase of viscosity is attributed to the surfactant micelles bridging of the polymer chains and confine the mobility PAA chain. On the other hand, it is found that the hydrogen bonding also played an important role in the PAA–C _n TAB system, especially in lower neutralization degree PAA solution, which results in the viscosity increase rapidly with the added surfactant into lower neutralization degree PAA solution.     

Interactions of two homologues of cationic surface active ionic liquids with sodium carboxymethylcellulose in aqueous solution

In the preceding paper of this series, we studied the interactions of copolymers with the ionic liquids, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C _n mimBr, n?=?8, 10, 12, 14, 16) and N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C _n MPB, n?=?12, 14, 16). An obvious difference was detected between the interaction mechanism and the alkyl chain length of the surfactant. In the present study, we performed a systematic study on the interaction of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) with ionic liquids in aqueous solution by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC), conductivity, turbidity, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. The existence of electrostatic attraction between NaCMC and ILs could increase the complexity of these systems. The results show that the monomers of C₈mimBr can bind to the NaCMC chains and form free surfactant micelles in the solution, while no micelle-like C₈mimBr/NaCMC cluster is detected. For other surfactants, the formation of surfactant/NaCMC clusters in the solution is driven by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, which could be divided into two types. One type is the polymer-induced surfactant/NaCMC complexes that form in the solution for the surfactant of C _n mimBr (n?=?10, 12, 14) or C _n MPB (n?=?12, 14). The other type is that the surfactant-induced surfactant/NaCMC complexes come into being for the surfactant of C₁₆mimBr or C₁₆MPB. Finally, the different modes of complex formation proposed have a good interpretation of the experiment results, unraveling the details of the effect of surfactant alkyl chain length and headgroup on the surfactant–NaCMC interactions.     

The spinnability of viscoelastic solutions of tetradecyl- and hexadecyl-trimethylammonium salicylates

The spinnability was measured for aqueous viscoelastic solutions of tetradecyl- and hexadecyltrimethylammonium salicylates (C₁₄TASal, C₁₆TASal) in the absence and presence of sodium salicylate (NaSal) and sodium bromide (NaBr). The spinnability is classified into two types, D and C. While the intrinsic drawing length in type D is proportional to the drawing velocity, the drawing intrinsic length in type C decreases with the drawing velocity or is independent of it. The spinnability changes from type D to C, as the drawing velocity and the surfactant concentration increase, and the temperature lowers. The effect of salt is different between NaSal and NaBr. It can be assumed that a pseudo-network structure composed of rod-like micelles is formed in viscoelastic and spinnable surfactant solutions. Then, the spinnability depends on the balance between the elasticity and the viscosity in which the structure results.     

Hydrotropic Behavior of Sodium Salicylate in Presence of Additives

It is well known that, like surfactants aggregating at a certain concentration (called critical micelle concentration, CMC), hydrotropes also have minimum hydrotrope concentration (MHC). However, unlike surfactant CMC, this MHC value is usually very high, thereby reducing their application. In this paper we report the results of conductivity and viscosity measurements with a well known hydrotrope sodium salicylate (NaSal) solutions in presence and absence of additives (propanol, PrOH; butanol, BuOH; pentanol, PeOH and tetrabutylammonium bromide, Bu₄NBr). We have found that MHC value of NaSal decreases in presence of additives. Alcohols increase the hydrophobic interactions and decrease the MHC while Bu₄NBr, in addition to ameliorating the hydrophobic interactions, reduces the charge on head groups and MHC decreases more steeply in its presence. Increased solubility of riboflavin in NaSal containing the above additives corroborates the results.     

The viscosity anomaly of polymer mixture solution in extremely dilute concentration region

The measured reduced viscosity-concentration (η_sp/C-C) curves of compatible PPO/PS incompatible PMMA/PS mixtures with different composition in toluene all deviate linear and reveal downward turn in extremely dilute concentration region. Moreover, with the variation of composition, the η_sp/C-C curve of PS/PMMA/m-xylene solution bends downwards sometimes and bends upwards sometimes in the extremely dilute concentration region. It indicates that such viscosity anomaly should not be attributed simply to incompatibility, but be related to solvent, composition and so on. It is further suggested that, like the single polymer solution, the viscosity anomaly of polymer mixture solution be resulted mainly from the interference of wall effects on viscosity measurement, which could be eliminated quantitatively with a proposed theoretical formula.     

Interaction between two homologues of cationic surface active ionic liquids and the PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers in aqueous solutions

The interaction of nonionic triblock copolymers of poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO) and poly(propyleneoxide) (PPO) (PEO_nPPO_mPEO_n) with a series of cationic surface-active ionic liquids in aqueous solutions have been investigated. The cationic surface-active ionic liquids include 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C_nmimBr, n?=?8, 10, 12, 14, 16) and N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C_nMPB, n?=?12, 14, 16). For different polymer-surfactant systems, the critical aggregation surfactant concentration (cac), the surfactant concentration to form free micelles (C _m), and the saturation concentration of surfactant on the polymer chains (C ₂) were determined using isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC) and conductivity measurements. The structure of the formed aggregates depended strongly on the hydrophobicity of the surfactant and the ratio of polymer/surfactant concentration. For C₈mimBr, there were not any micelle-like surfactant?Cpolymer clusters detected in the solution, and only micelles appeared. For other surfactants, the polymer?Csurfactant aggregates were formed in the solution, which was verified by the appearance of a broad endothermic peak in the ITC thermograms. The intensity of polymer?Csurfactant interaction increased with the hydrophobicity of the surfactants and the polymers but was not affected by the surfactant headgroups.     

The influence of mixed cationic–anionic surfactants on the three-phase contact parameters in silica–solution systems

The formation of thin wetting films on silica surface from aqueous solution of (a) tetradecyltrimetilammonium bromide (C₁₄TAB) and (b) surfactant mixture of the cationic C₁₄TAB with the anionic sodium alkyl- (straight chain C₁₂–, C₁₄– and C₁₆–) sulfonates, was studied using the microscopic thin wetting film method developed by Platikanov. Film lifetimes, three-phase contact (TPC) expansion rates, receding contact angles and surface tension were measured. It was found that the mixed surfactants caused lower contact angles, lower rates of the thin aqueous film rupture and longer film lifetimes, as compared to the pure C₁₄TAB. This behavior was explained by the strong initial adsorption of interfacial complexes from the mixed surfactant system at the air/solution interface, followed by adsorption at the silica interface. The formation of the interfacial complexes at the air/solution interface was proved by means of the surface tension data. It was also shown, that the chain length compatibility between the anionic and cationic surfactants controls the strength of the interfacial complex and causes synergistic lowering in the surface tension. The film rupture mechanism was explained by the heterocoagulation mechanism between the positively charged air/solution interface and the solution/silica interface, which remained negatively charged.     

Melt rheology of ion-containing polymers. I. Effect of ionic content in a model polyesterionomer

The effects of copolymerizing small amounts of an ionic moiety (0–7 mol %) into the backbone of a polycondensation polymer have been investigated by a combination of linear viscoelastic, steady-shear, and extensional testing. At a constant viscosity in dilute solution, both the zero-shear-rate viscosity and the maximum relaxation time in the melt increase monotonically with an increase in the ionic character. These effects are present after the data are normalized to remove the increase in the glass transition temperature T_g with increased ionic content. Large-strain, steady-shear flow experiments showed that the viscoelastic memory of the melt is affected by ionic content. An increase in ion content causes a decrease in the effect of strain on the memory function. This effect is not apparent in extensional flow experiments, which indicate that the ionic content does not affect the response if the tests are conducted at a constant temperature above T_g.     

Interaction Between 1-Dodecyl-3-Methylimidazolium Bromide and Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose in Aqueous Solution: Effect of Polymer Concentration

Effect of the concentration of water-soluble polyanion (sodium carboxymethylcellulose, NaCMC) on the interaction between a cationic surfactant (1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, C₁₂mimBr) and NaCMC in aqueous solution has been studied by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC), conductivity, surface tension, and rheological measurements. From the surfactant/polymer interacting enthalpy, it can be deduced that the electrostatic attraction between the cationic surfactant and anionic polyelectrolyte causes an endothermic process, and the C₁₂mimBr monomers binding to the NaCMC chains to form micelle-like aggregates through hydrophobic interaction is an exothermic process. Increasing the NaCMC concentration causes the interaction between C₁₂mimBr and NaCMC to decrease, and the characteristic surfactant concentrations, including the critical aggregation surfactant concentration (CAC), the surfactant concentration to form free micelles (C_m), and the saturation concentration of surfactant on the NaCMC chains (C_S) to increase. Because of the strong electrostatic interaction between C₁₂mimBr and NaCMC, the formation of C₁₂mimBr/NaCMC complexes can lead to precipitation or redissolution depending on solution composition, so the critical precipitation concentration (C_P) and the onset of a redissolution concentration (C_R) has been determined by the electrical conductivity. The rheological results reveal a dramatic increase in solution viscosity around the CAC, attributed to interpolymer cross-linking through the formation of mixed micelles involving the carboxylic acid groups of NaCMC and the surfactant.     

Interaction Between GMAC-m-CS and Surfactants: Surface Tension and Conductivity Methods

Glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride-modified chitosan (GMAC-m-CS) was synthesized through nucleophilic substitution of GMAC on CS in isopropanol dispersed system, which was characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR methods. The interaction between GMAC-m-CS and surface active ILs ?1-dodecyl (tetradecyl and hexadecyl)-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C_nmimBr, n = 12, 14, 16) was studied by surface tension and conductivity methods. The amount of C_nmimBr adsorbed on GMAC-m-CS increases first with raising temperature, and then decreases, which reaches the largest amount at 30°C. The amount increases with the increase of alkyl chain length. The surface tension reducing capabilities of GMAC-m-CS/C_nmimBr systems increase with temperature, however, decrease with the increase of GMAC-m-CS concentration. The aggregation processes of C₁₄mimBr in solutions without GMAC-m-CS and with high concentration of GMAC-m-CS were entropy driven; however, it is enthalpy driven in solutions with low concentration of GMAC-m-CS. Based on the analysis of properties of GMAC-m-CS/C_nmimBr, the interaction model of GMAC-m-CS/ILs was proposed.     

Interfacial dilational properties of partly hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and gemini surfactant at the decane–water interface

The dilational viscoelastic properties of partly hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and surfactant (C₁₂COONa-p-C₉SO₃Na) in the absence or presence of electrolyte were investigated at the decane–water interface by means of longitudinal method and the interfacial tension relaxation method. The polymer plays different roles in influencing the structure of HPAM–surfactant mix-adsorbed layer at different surfactant concentration. At low surfactant concentration, the addition of polymer could sharply decrease the dilational elasticity mainly due to the weakening of the “entanglement” among long alkyl chains in surfactant molecules, while the addition of the polymer may enhance the dilational elasticity due to the slow diffusivity of the polymer chains at higher surfactant concentration. And the added electrolyte, which results in screening of electrostatic interactions between the ionized groups, generally decreases the interfacial dilational elasticity and increases the dilational viscosity. The data obtained on the relaxation processes via interfacial tension relaxation measurement can explain the results from dilational viscoelasticity measurements very well.     

A hydrogel formed by cetylpyrrolidinium bromide and sodium salicylate

A novel hydrogel constructed by N-methyl-N-cetylpyrrolidinium bromide (C₁₆MPBr) and sodium salicylate (NaSal) is investigated using ¹H NMR, FT-IR, SEM, and rheological measurements. Through the rheological characterization of the hydrogels, both the NaSal concentration and pH have significant effects on the formation and properties of the gels. ¹H NMR, FT-IR, and SEM have also been employed to investigate the molecular arrangement and morphology of the gels. Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions are considered as the main driving forces to form the gels.     

The Influence on Interfacial Tension of the Combination of Anionic and Cationic Surfactants: Alkyl Sulfonate/Alkyltrimethylammonium Bromide

Mioellization of aqueous mixture of sodium octyl sulfonate ( C₈As )/ cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (C₁₂As)( CTAB in the presence of sodium bromide has been studied by surface tension measurement. Nonideal solution theory has been used to calculate the molecular interaction parameters (β^M and β^s). The oil-aqueous interfacial tensions of C₁₂As/ CTAB, C₈As/CTAB, C₁₂As/dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) systems were also measured. We studied the influence of the surfactant concentration, surfactant molar fraction ratio, hydrocarbon chain length, added NaCl and alcohol concentration on the interfacial tension.     

Salt Effect on the Aggregation Behaviors of an Anionic Carboxylate Gemini and a Cationic Surfactant

The synthesis method and conditions for the carboxylate Gemini surfactant O,O′‐bis(sodium 2‐lauricate)‐p‐benzenediol (C₁₁pPHCNa) were explored. Surface tension data of the single and mixed systems of catanionic (cationic with anionic) surfactants with different salt concentrations were used to determine the CMC values and to obtain the information of self‐assembly behaviors of the surfactants. Aggregates' morphologies were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and speculation was made according to the viscosity measurement results. The results show that large spherical aggregates formed in the mixed solution, which tend to transfer into branched and wormlike mixed micelles with the increases of the salt concentration. The viscosity of the mixed solution was found to increase gradually corresponding to the change of the catanionic surfactant mixtures' morphology.     

The aggregation of nonionic surfactants in the presence of poly(methacrylic acid)

The solution properties of homogeneous hexaethylene and octaethylene glycol mono(n-dodecyl) ethers, C₁₂E₆ and C₁₂E₈, respectively, and octaethylene glycol mono(n-decyl) ether, C₁₀E₈, with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) were investigated by dye solubilization, surface tension, fluorescence, viscosity, and pH measurements. The data were discussed regarding non-cooperative and cooperative binding of surfactant to polymer. Whereas in the interaction with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), the critical aggregation concentrations (cac or T ₁) of these surfactants were lower than the respective critical micelle concentration (cmc), in that with the more hydrophobic PMA, T ₁’s of C₁₂E₆ and C₁₂E₈ were higher than the respective cmc, but that of C₁₀E₈ was lower than its cmc. These may be ascribed to the hydrophobic microdomains (HMD) of the PMA coil in water, probably in its inside. It is considered that some surfactants are bound first to the HMD non-cooperatively and then they are abruptly bound cooperatively at T ₁. This raises T ₁ higher than cmc when the cmc is low, and the amount bound by the HMD is relatively large and vice versa. T ₁ of C₁₂E₆ or C₁₂E₈ is the former case, and that of C₁₀E₈ is the latter. Thus, different from PAA, T ₁ for PMA + nonionic surfactant system consists of the amount of non-cooperative binding and the cac of the cooperative binding in equilibrium. Therefore, this T ₁ has a different meaning from that for PAA and should be called apparent T ₁. As the binding to the HMD is dependent on PMA concentration and cac is not, which is like in the PAA system, separation of apparent T ₁ from the HMD binding was achieved by extrapolating T ₁’s to zero PMA concentration (denoted intrinsic T ₁). This value for C₁₂E₈ was found to be lower than the respective cmc and also lower than the respective T ₁ for PAA. With increase in surfactant concentration, the pH of PMA solution rose and demonstrated a peak. This pH rise and fall may be induced by loosening of the HMD coil due to binding increase and by rearrangement of PMA + surfactant complex in high surfactant concentrations region. By raising the initial pH, the HMD were loosened; consequently, T ₁ rose a little, and at higher pH, no surfactant binding took place.     

Analysis of dynamic surface tension of tetraethyleneglycol monooctyl ether at air/water interface

The dynamic surface tension of the aqueous solutions of tetraethyleneglycol monooctyl ether (C₈E₄), a nonionic surfactant, was measured at different concentrations and temperatures. Present data at 298.15 K clearly indicate that the mechanism of adsorption is purely diffusion controlled at low concentrations (0.1~0.4 mmol/kg), and there is a switchover in adsorption mechanism to the mixed diffusion-kinetic control at higher concentrations. The calculated activation energies increase with concentration, and thus, with surface density, but decrease with temperature. The magnitude of activation energy and its increase with surface density suggest that the barrier is due to the free surface site formation by overcoming mainly the attractive van der Waals forces between the chain of adsorbed C₈E₄ molecules.     

pH-Responsive Rheological Properties and Microstructure Transition in Mixture of Anionic Gemini/Cationic Monomeric Surfactants

Surfactant aggregates have long been considered as a tool to improve drug delivery and have been widely used in medical products. The pH-responsive aggregation behavior in anionic gemini surfactant 1,3-bis(N-dodecyl-N-propanesulfonate sodium)-propane (C₁₂C₃C₁₂(SO₃)₂) and its mixture with a cationic monomeric surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have been investigated. The spherical-to-wormlike micelle transition was successfully realized in C₁₂C₃C₁₂(SO₃)₂ through decreasing the pH, while the rheological properties were perfectly enhanced for the formation of wormlike micelles. Especially at 140 mM and pH 6.7, the mixture showed high viscoelasticity, and the maximum of the zero-shear viscosity reached 1530 Pa·s. Acting as a sulfobetaine zwitterionic gemini surfactant, the electrostatic attraction, the hydrogen bond and the short spacer of C₁₂C₃C₁₂(SO₃)₂ molecules were all responsible for the significant micellar growth. Upon adding CTAB, the similar transition could also be realized at a low pH, and the further transformation to branched micelles occurred by adjusting the total concentration. Although the mixtures did not approach the viscosity maximum appearing in the C₁₂C₃C₁₂(SO₃)₂ solution, CTAB addition is more favorable for viscosity enhancement in the wormlike-micelle region. The weakened charges of the headgroups in a catanionic mixed system minimizes the micellar spontaneous curvature and enhances the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction between C₁₂C₃C₁₂(SO₃)₂, facilitating the formation of a viscous solution, which would greatly induce entanglement and even the fusion of wormlike micelles, thus resulting in branched microstructures and a decline of viscosity.