Phase behavior, rheological property, and transmutation of vesicles in fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactant mixtures

We present a detailed study of a salt-free cationic/anionic (catanionic) surfactant system where a strongly alkaline cationic surfactant (tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, TTAOH) was mixed with a single-chain fluorocarbon acid (nonadecafluorodecanoic acid, NFDA) and a hyperbranched hydrocarbon acid [di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid, DEHPA] in water. Typically the concentration of TTAOH is fixed while the total concentration and mixing molar ratio of NFDA and DEHPA is varied. In the absence of DEHPA and at a TTAOH concentration of 80 mmol·L(-1), an isotropic L(1) phase, an L(1)/L(α) two-phase region, and a single L(α) phase were observed successively with increasing mixing molar ratio of NFDA to TTAOH (n(NFDA)/n(TTAOH)). In the NFDA-rich region (n(NFDA)/n(TTAOH) > 1), a small amount of excess NFDA can be solubilized into the L(α) phase while a large excess of NFDA eventually leads to phase separation. When NFDA is replaced gradually by DEHPA, the mixed system of TTAOH/NFDA/DEHPA/H(2)O follows the same phase sequence as that of the TTAOH/NFDA/H(2)O system and the phase boundaries remain almost unchanged. However, the viscoelasticity of the samples in the single L(α) phase region becomes higher at the same total surfactant concentration as characterized by rheological measurements. Cryo-transmission electron microscopic (cryo-TEM) observations revealed a microstructural evolution from unilamellar vesicles to multilamellar ones and finally to gaint onions. The size of the vesicle and number of lamella can be controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of NFDA to DEHPA. The dynamic properties of the vesicular solutions have also been investigated. It is found that the yield stress and the storage modulus are time-dependent after a static mixing process between the two different types of vesicle solutions, indicating the occurrence of a dynamic fusion between the two types of vesicles. The microenvironmental changes induced by aggregate transitions were probed by (19)F NMR as well as (31)P NMR measurements. Upon replacement of NFDA by DEHPA, the signal from the (19)F atoms adjacent to the hydrophilic headgroup disappears and that from the (19)F atoms on the main chain becomes sharper. This could be interpreted as an increase of microfluidity in the mixed vesicle bilayers at higher content of DEHPA, whose alkyl chains are expected to have a lower chain melting point. Our results provide basic knowledge on vesicle formation and their structural evolution in salt-free catanionic surfactant systems containing mixed ion pairs, which may contribute to a deeper understanding of the rules governing the formation and properties of surfactant self-assembly.     

The effect of alkane tail length of CiE8 surfactants on transport to the silicone oil-water interface

The phase behavior and rheological properties of an anionic surfactant, bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT), mixed with a zwitterionic tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C(14)DMAO) in aqueous solutions, were studied at different ratios, R=w(AOT)/(w(C(14)DMAO + w(AOT)). When R=1, the 6.0 wt% AOT solution is two-phase with dense vesicles as the lower phase. With an increase of C(14)DMAO fraction (decreasing R) at a total concentration of 6.0 wt%, the lower vesicle-phase (L(αv)-phase) extends to generate a single L(αv)-phase. Then the L(αv)-phase turns into a viscoelastic wormlike micellar phase and finally rod-like or spherical C(14)DMAO micelles. The wormlike micellar solutions (from R=0.3 to 0.2) are highly viscoelastic, indicating the formation of rigid network structures. The rheological properties of the viscoelastic solutions exhibit a typical Maxwell characteristic at low and intermediate oscillatory frequencies. A pronounced temperature effect on the wormlike micellar structures can be observed by rheological studies. With an increase in temperature, the samples become less structured due to shortening of the micelles. After introducing certain additives, e.g., octanol and divalent metal ions, a transition from wormlike micellar phases to birefringent L(αv)-phases was observed.     

Two routes to vesicle formation: metal-ligand complexation and ionic interactions

Two routes to vesicle formation were designed to prepare uni- and multilamellar vesicles in salt-free aqueous solutions of surfactants. The formation of a surfactant complex between a double-chain anionic surfactant with a divalent-metal ion as the counterion and a single-chain zwitterionic surfactant with the polar group of amine-oxide group is described for the first time as a powerful driving force for vesicle-phases constructed from salt-free mixtures of aqueous surfactant solutions. As a typical example, a Zn(2+)-induced charged complex fluid, vesicle-phase has been studied in aqueous mixtures of tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C(14)DMAO) and zinc 2,2-dihydroperfluorooctanoate [Zn(OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13))(2)]. This ionically charged vesicle-phase formed due to surfactant complexation has interesting rheological properties and is not shielded by excess salts because there are no counterions in the solution. Such a vesicle-phase of surfactant complex is important for many applications; for example, the vesicle-phase was further used to produce in situ the vesicle-phase of the salt-free cationic/anionic (catanionic) surfactants, C(14)DMAOH(+)-(-)OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13). The salt-free catanionic vesicle-phase could be produced through injecting H(2)S gas into the C(14)DMAO/Zn(OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13))(2) vesicle-phase, because the zwitterionic surfactant C(14)DMAO can be charged by the H(+) released from H(2)S to become a cationic surfactant and Zn(2+) was precipitated as ZnS. After the ZnS precipitates were removed from C(14)DMAO/Zn(OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13))(2) solutions, the final mixed solution does not contain excess salts as do other cationic/anionic surfactant systems. Both the C(14)DMAO-Zn(OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13))(2) complex and the resulting catanionic C(14)DMAOH(+)-(-)OOCCH(2)C(6)F(13) solution are birefringent Lalpha-phase solutions that consist of uni- and multilamellar vesicles. Ring-shaped semiconductor ZnS materials with encapsulated ZnS precipitates and regular spherical ZnS particles were prepared, which resulted in a transition from vesicles composed of metal-ligand complexes to vesicles held together by ionic interactions in the salt-free aqueous systems. This strategy should provide a new method to prepare inorganic materials. The present routes to form vesicles solve a problem: how to prepare nanomaterials using surfactant self-assembly, with structure controlled not by the growing material, but by the phase behavior of the surfactants.     

Phase behavior and rheological properties of salt-free catanionic TTAOH/DA/H2O system in the presence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic salts

In the cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant mixed system, tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (TTAOH)/decanoic acid (DA)/H(2)O, abundant phase behaviors were obtained in the presence of hydrophilic and hydrophobic salts. The microstructures of typical L(α) phases with the different compositions were characterized by the transmission electron microscope (TEM) images. Aqueous double-phase transition induced by addition of hydrophilic salts was observed when the cationic surfactant was in excess. Salt-induced reversible vesicle phases could be obtained when the anionic surfactant was excess, whereas the vesicle phase at lower salinity behaves highly viscoelastic but is much less viscoelastic with high salinity which was demonstrated by measuring their rheological properties. The L(α) phase with the positive membrane charges can be finally transferred into an L(1) phase with added salts. The ion specificity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic salts is discussed, and the order of cations is summarized, which is significant for the further study of the Hofmeister effects on catanionic surfactant mixed systems.     

Ca2+- and ba2+-ligand coordinated unilamellar, multilamellar, and oligovesicular vesicles

Ca(2+)- and Ba(2+)-coordinated vesicle phases were prepared in mixed aqueous solutions of tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C(14)DMAO) and calcium oleate (Ca(OA)(2)) or barium oleate (Ba(OA)(2)). At the right mixing ratios, metal-ligand coordination between Ca(OA)(2) or Ba(OA)(2) and C(14)DMAO results in the formation of molecular bilayers due to the reduction in area per head group. Ca(2+) and Ba(2+) tightly associate to the head groups of surfactants and in this system the bilayer membranes are not shielded by excess salts. The structures of the birefringent samples of the Ca(OA)(2)/C(14)DMAO/H(2)O and Ba(OA)(2)/C(14)DMAO/H(2)O systems were determined by freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and rheological measurements to consist of unilamellar, multilamellar, and oligovesicular vesicles. The coordination between C(14)DMAO and Ba(OA)(2) or Ca(OA)(2) plays an important role in the formation of the vesicles, which was easily confirmed by studying the phase behavior of the KOA/C(14)DMAO/H(2)O system in which only the L(1) phase forms, due to the absence of coordination between KOA and C(14)DMAO. A mechanism is proposed that accounts for the formation of these new metal-ligand coordinated vesicles.     

Unravelling micellar structure and dynamics in an unusually extensive DDAB/bile salt catanionic solution by rheology and NMR-diffusometry

The mixed didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)-sodium taurodeoxycholate (STDC)-(2)H(2)O catanionic system forms a large isotropic (L(1)) phase at 25 degrees C. The evolution of microstructure along different dilution lines has been followed by means of rheology and NMR diffusometry. In general, the L(1) phase is characterised by a weak viscoelasticity and Newtonian response. In the STDC-rich regime (W(s)=[DDAB]/[STDC]=0.2), 5 wt% is an overlapping concentration at which the discrete-to-rodlike micellar transition occurs as indicated from the total surfactant concentration (C(s)) dependency of both zero-shear viscosity (eta(0) approximately C(s)(3.7)) and surfactant self-diffusion (D(s) approximately C(s)(-3.0)). As the surfactant molar ratio (W(s)1) increases, i.e., DDAB concentration increases, and at constant C(s), eta(0) decreases and D(s) increases, indicating the formation of a multiconnected micellar network.     

Effect of hydrophilic groups of Ca surfactants and hydrophobic chains of C(n)DMAO on coordinated vesicle formation

The effects of hydrophilic headgroups of Ca surfactants, calcium dodecylsulfate (Ca(DS)(2)), calcium dodecylsulfonate (Ca(DSA)(2)), and calcium laurate (CaL(2)) and hydrophobic chains of alkyldimethylamine oxide (C(n)DMAO, n = 12, 14, 16) on the formation of Ca(2+)-ligand coordinated vesicles was investigated in detail. On the basis of phase behavior studies, rheological properties and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscope (FF-TEM) images were measured. Quite different phase behaviors were observed in different surfactant systems. For a Ca surfactant with a highly polar group, Ca(DS)(2), vesicles were observed in all Ca(DS)(2)/C(n)DMAO (n = 12, 14, and 16) systems, whereas for Ca surfactant with lower polar group, Ca(DSA)(2), vesicles can form in Ca(DSA)(2)/C(n)DMAO systems of n = 14 and 16 but not for n = 12. For CaL(2), the surfactant with the least polar group, vesicles form only in the CaL(2)/C(16)DMAO system. The results demonstrate that in the systems formed by Ca surfactants and C(n)DMAO, the formation of vesicles is driven not only by interaction between Ca(2+) and the N → O groups of C(n)DMAO but also by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Vesicles prefer to form in Ca surfactants with highly polar headgroups and C(n)DMAO with long chain length.     

Phase behavior and rheological properties of a salt-free catanionic surfactant TTAOH/LA/H2O system

Conventional cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant mixtures tend to form precipitates at the mixing molar ratio of the cationic and anionic surfactant of 1:1 because of the excess salt formed by their counterions. By using OH- and H+ as the counterions, however, excess salt can be eliminated, and salt-free catanionic systems can be obtained. Here, we report the detailed phase behavior and rheological properties of salt-free catanionic surfactant system of tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (TTAOH)/lauric acid (LA)/H2O. With the variation of mixing molar ratio of LA to TTAOH (rho=nLA/nTTAOH), the system exhibits much richer phase behavior induced by growth and transition of aggregates. Correspondingly, the rheological property of the system changes significantly. Take the series of samples with fixed total surfactant concentration (cT) to be 15 mg.mL(-1), the system only forms a low viscous L 1 phase with a Newton fluid character at the TTAOH-rich side. With increasing rho, first a shear-thickening L1 phase region is observed at 0.70or=1.05, and finally, at rho>or=1.13, the excess LA will separate from the bulk solution and form a white top layer. Investigations were also carried out by varying c T at fixed rho and by changing temperature, respectively. It was found micelle growth would be greatly suppressed at higher temperatures. However, the vesicle phases showed a considerable resistance against temperature rise.     

Metal-ligand-coordinated vesicles and vesicle-assisted preparation of calcium oxalate

A Ca(2+) -ligand-coordinated vesicle phase was prepared from a mixture of tetradecyldimethylamine oxide (C14DMAO) and calcium tetradecylamidomethyl sulfate [(CH3(CH2)13NHCOCH2OSO3)2Ca] in aqueous solution. At the appropriate mixing ratios, Ca(2+) -ligand coordination results in the formation of molecular bilayers because Ca(2+) can firmly bind to the head groups of C14DMAO and (CH3(CH2)13NHCOCH2OSO3)2Ca by complexation which reduces the area of head group. In this system, no counterions in aqueous solution exist because of the Ca(2+) -ligand coordination, and the bilayer membranes are not shielded by salts, i.e., a salt-free but charged molecular bilayer. The structures of the birefringent solutions of (CH3(CH2)13NHCOCH2OSO3)2Ca and C14DMAO mixtures were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and rheological measurements, demonstrating that the birefringent sample solutions consist of vesicles. The Ca(2+) -ligand complex vesicle phase was used as a microreactor to prepare calcium oxalate (CaC2O4) crystals. Dimethyl oxalate, as a precursor, can hydrolyze to oxalic acid and methanol. Oxalic acid should precipitate Ca(2+) ions binding to the head groups of C14DMAO and (CH3(CH2)13NHCOCH2OSO3)2Ca to produce CaC2O4 crystals (Ca(2+) + H2C2O4 --> CaC2O4 (downward arrow) + 2H+). The obtained particles were CaC2O4 monohydrate, which were dominated by (020) faces. CaC2O4 precipitates were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. After removal of CaC2O4 precipitates, a new cationic and anionic (catanionic) vesicle phase was constructed through electrostatic interaction between cationic C14DMAOH+ (C14DMAO + H+ --> C14DMAOH+) and anionic CH3(CH12)13 NHCOCH2OSO3-.     

Vesicles of a new salt-free cat-anionic fluoro/hydrocarbon surfactant system

Weakly basic tetradecyldimethylaminoxide (C14DMAO) molecules can be protonated to form a cationic surfactant, C14DMAOH+, by an acidic fluorocarbon surfactant, an 8-2-fluorotelomer unsaturated acid (C7F15CF==CHCOOH), to form a salt-free cationic and anionic (cat-anionic) fluoro/hydrocarbon surfactant system in aqueous solution. The high Krafft point of C7F15CF==CHCOOH was largely reduced as a result of being mixed with a C14DMAO micelle solution. A study of the phase behavior of the new salt-free cat-anionic fluoro/hydrocarbon surfactant system clearly indicates the existence of a birefringent Lalpha-phase region at (25.0+/-0.1) degrees C. The birefringent Lalpha phase consists of vesicles, which include uni- and multilamellar vesicles with one to dozens of shells, and oligovesicular vesicles, as demonstrated by freeze-fracture and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (FF- and cryo-TEM) images. The size distribution and structural transitions in the salt-free cat-anionic fluoro/hydrocarbon surfactant system were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy. The formation of a salt-free cat-anionic vesicle phase could be induced by the strong electrostatic interaction between the cationic hydrocarbon C14DMAOH+ and the anionic fluorocarbon C7F15CF==CHCOO-, which provided evidence that the electrostatic interaction between the cationic and anionic surfactants is larger than the nonsynergistic interaction between the stiff fluorocarbon and the soft hydrocarbon chains of the surfactants.     

Investigations into the bending constant and edge energy of bilayers of salt-free catanionic vesicles

Using molecular dynamics simulation, we performed theoretical calculations on the curvature constant and edge energy of bilayers of salt-free, zero-charged, cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant vesicles composed of alkylammonium cations (C(m)(+)) and fatty acid anions (C(n)(-)). Both the minimum size and edge energy of vesicles were calculated to examine the relation between the length of the surfactant molecules and the mechanical properties of the catanionic bilayers. Our simulation results clearly demonstrate that, when the chain lengths of the cationic and anionic surfactants are equal, both the edge energy and the rigidity of the catanionic bilayers increase dramatically, changing from around 0.36 to 2.77 kBT·nm(-1) and around 0.86 to 6.51 kBT·nm(-1), respectively. For the smallest catanionic vesicles, the curvature is not uniform and the surfactant molecules adopt a multicurvature arrangement in the vesicle bilayers. We suspect that the multicurvature bending of bilayers of catanionic vesicles is a common phenomenon in rigid bilayer systems, which could aid understanding of ion transport through bilayer membranes.     

Thermotropic and barotropic phase transitions of dialkyldimethylammonium bromide bilayer membranes: effect of chain length

The bilayer phase transitions of dialkyldimethylammonium bromides (2C(n)Br; n = 12, 14, 16) were observed by differential scanning calorimetry and high-pressure light-transmittance measurements. Under atmospheric pressure, the 2C(12)Br bilayer membrane underwent the stable transition from the lamellar crystal (L(c)) phase to the liquid crystalline (L(α)) phase. The 2C(14)Br bilayer underwent the main transition from the metastable lamellar gel (L(β)) phase to the metastable L(α) phase in addition to the stable L(c)/L(α) transition. For the 2C(16)Br bilayer, moreover, three kinds of phase transitions were observed: the metastable main transition, the metastable transition from the metastable lamellar crystal (L(c(2))) phase to the metastable L(α) phase, and the stable lamellar crystal (L(c(1)))/L(α) transition. The temperatures of all the phase transitions elevated almost linearly with increasing pressure. The temperature (T)-pressure (p) phase diagrams of the 2C(12)Br and 2C(14)Br bilayers were simple, but that of the 2C(16)Br bilayer was complex; that is, the T-p curves for the metastable main transition and the L(c(2))/L(α) transition intersect at ca. 25 MPa, which means the inversion of the relative phase stability between the metastable phases of L(β) and L(c(2)) above and below the pressure. Moreover, the T-p curve of the L(c(2))/L(α) transition was separated into two curves under high pressure, and as a result, the pressure-induced L(c(2P)) phase appeared in between. Thermodynamic quantities for phase transitions of the 2C(n)Br bilayers increased with an increase in alkyl-chain length. The chain-length dependence of the phase-transition temperature for all kinds of transitions observed suggests that the stable L(c(1))/L(α) transition incorporates the metastable L(c(2))/L(α) transition in the bilayers of 2C(n)Br with shorter alkyl chains, and the main-transition of the 2C(12)Br bilayer would occur at a temperature below 0 °C.     

Sponge Phase Producing Porous CeO2 for Catalytic Oxidation of CO

The aggregation behavior of mixtures of the alkaline amino acid L ‐Arginine (L ‐Arg) and bis(2‐ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) in water was studied in detail. At a fixed L ‐Arg concentration, a phase sequence of micellar phase (L₁ phase), vesicle phase (L_αv phase), planar lamellar phase (L_αl phase), and sponge phase (L₃ phase) was obtained with increasing DEHPA concentration due to changes in the packing parameter. The phase transition of the lamellar structures was determined by freeze‐fracture TEM and ²H NMR spectroscopy. Rheological measurements reflected the phase transition through significant variations of both the elastic modulus and the viscous modulus. Porous CeO₂ materials were produced by utilizing the L₃ phase as template, and the porous CeO₂ exhibited excellent catalytic oxidation activity toward CO due to its high surface area, which provides more active sites for CO conversion.     

正负离子表面活性剂在短链脂肪醇/水中沉淀-囊泡转化和双水相的形成

首次报道在短链脂肪醇/水溶剂中十二烷基硫酸钠和辛基三甲基溴化铵混合体系由沉淀转化为囊泡，并出现表面活性剂双水相的新现象，以期探索正负离子表面活性剂混合体系研究的新途径。     

Hydrostatic pressure reveals bilayer phase behavior of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide and chloride

Bilayer phase transitions of dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (2C(18)Br) and chloride (2C(18)Cl) were observed by differential scanning calorimetry and high-pressure light-transmittance measurements. The 2C(18)Br bilayer membrane showed different kinds of transitions depending on preparation methods of samples under atmospheric pressure. Under certain conditions, the 2C(18)Br bilayer underwent three kinds of transitions, the metastable transition from the metastable lamellar crystal (L(c(2))) phase to the metastable lamellar gel (L(β)) phase at 35.4 °C, the metastable main transition from the metastable L(β) phase to the metastable liquid crystalline (L(α)) phase at 44.5 °C, and the stable transition from the stable lamellar crystal (L(c(1))) phase to the stable L(α) phase at 52.8 °C. On the contrary, the 2C(18)Cl bilayer underwent two kinds of transitions, the stable transition from the stable L(c) phase to the stable L(β) phase at 19.7 °C and the stable main transition from the stable L(β) phase to the stable L(α) phase at 39.9 °C. The temperatures of the phase transitions of the 2C(18)Br and 2C(18)Cl bilayers were almost linearly elevated by applying pressure. It was found from the temperature (T)-pressure (p) phase diagram of the 2C(18)Br bilayer that the T-p curves for the main transition and the L(c(1))/L(α) transition intersect at ca. 130 MPa because of the larger slope of the former transition curve. On the other hand, the T-p phase diagram of the 2C(18)Cl bilayer took a simple shape. The thermodynamic properties for the main transition of the 2C(18)Br and 2C(18)Cl bilayers were comparable to each other, whereas those for the L(c(1))/L(α) transition of the 2C(18)Br bilayer showed considerably high values, signifying that the L(c(1)) phase of the 2C(18)Br bilayer is extremely stable. These differences observed in both bilayers are attributable to the difference in interaction between a surfactant and its counterion.     

Micelle-vesicle transitions in catanionic mixtures of SDS/DTAB induced by salt,temperature, and selective solvents: a dissipative particle dynamics simulation study

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations are performed to study the factors that lead to the transition between micelle and vesicle in catanionic mixtures composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), with the aim of understanding and controlling the structures of this system. The phase behavior, kinetics of vesicle formation, and micelle–vesicle transitions induced by salt, temperature, and selective solvents are investigated systematically. In this research, phase diagram of SDS/DTAB mixture is constructed by simulations at different concentrations and composition fractions. It is consistent with experimental results. The kinetic process of catanionic vesicle formation is illustrated. It is clarified that the transition between micelle and vesicle can be controlled by properly adjusting the external conditions. More interestingly, the evolution condition and transition mechanism between micelle and vesicle induced by various conditions are revealed. The membrane thickness differences between vesicles formed at different external conditions are compared. Here, the predicted phenomenon is compared with experimental results whenever possible, and we try to make a connection between the simulation model and the reality of the experiments. These studies help to shed light on the microscopic details of micelle–vesicle transition in catanionic mixtures.     

环境因素对正负表面活性剂体系相行为的影响

在1:1正负离子表面活性剂混合体系(十二烷基硫酸钠/辛基三甲基溴化铵 SDS-C8NM3Br; 十二烷基硫酸钠/十二烷基三甲基溴化铵,SDS-C12NM3Br)中加入短链脂肪醇 (乙醇,正丙醇,正丁醇),正负离子表面活性剂沉淀溶解,出现表面活性剂双水相.上相有液晶存在,下相有囊泡自发形成.折光率数据和电镜结果表明:上相为表面活性剂富集相,下相表面活性剂浓度较低.混合体系中,出现表面活性剂双水相所需短链脂肪醇的体积百分数,随短链脂肪醇的链长增加而降低.温度升高,出现表面活性剂双水相所需短链脂肪醇的体积百分数降低.对SDS/C8NM3Br/H2O体系的研究结果表明:超声处理,可使混合体系中沉淀向囊泡转化,与短链脂肪醇的加入后的作用类似.     

Structural evolution in the isotropic channel of a water-nonionic surfactant system that has a disconnected lamellar phase: a 1H NMR self-diffusion study

We showed in a previous study that a water-nonionic surfactant system, where the surfactant is a 9:1 mixture of tetraethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C(10)E(4)) and pentaethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C(10)E(5)), forms a disconnected lamellar (L(α)) phase. Thus, the isotropic phase spans the whole concentration range from the water-rich L(1) region to the surfactant-rich L(2) region of the phase diagram. The L(1) and L(2) regions are connected via an isotropic channel that separates the two regions of the L(α) phase. In this letter, we monitored the structural evolution of the isotropic phase along a path through this isotropic channel via (1)H NMR self-diffusion measurements. We used this technique because it enables us to distinguish between discrete and bicontinuous structures by comparing the relative self-diffusion coefficients (obstruction factors) D/D(0) of the solvents (i.e. of water and surfactant in the present case). We found that the obstruction factor of water decreases whereas the obstruction factor of the surfactant increases with increasing surfactant concentration and increasing temperature. This trend is interpreted as the transition from a water-continuous L(1) region, which contains discrete micelles, to a bicontinuous structure, which may extend to very high surfactant concentrations. Although there is good evidence of bicontinuity over a broad concentration range, there is no evidence of inverse micelles or any other microstructure at the highest concentration studied in the surfactant-rich L(2) phase.     

Evidence of formation of ammonium perfluorononanoate/2H2O multilamellar vesicles: morphological analysis by rheology and rheo-2H NMR experiments

Rheology and rheo-(2)H NMR measurements are presented for 30 wt % ammonium perfluorononanoate (APFN)/(2)H(2)O mixture in the temperature range 20-70 °C. A first-order lamellar-to-nematic transition occurs at 42 °C, and a first-order nematic-to-isotropic transition occurs at 49 °C. Different rheological behaviors of the lamellar phase were observed with increasing the temperature. The lamellar structure at low temperature (Lα(-)) has a clear gel-like viscoelasticity, while at high temperature the lamellar structure (Lα(+)) has a liquid-like response. In this study we have observed for the first time, along with the lamellar phase of a surfactant containing fluorinated fatty acid, the formation of multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) ("onions") induced by shear. With the aid of nonlinear rheology and rheo-NMR techniques, onion formation was found to occur in both temperature regimes of the lamellar phase, but at different strain units. It is suggested that the lamellar phase consists of smectic structures in both Lα(-) and Lα(+), but with different percentages of defect density.     

Synthesis and characterization of ultrafine CeF3 nanoparticles modified by catanionic surfactant via a reverse micelles route

In this article, we firstly reported on the synthesis and characterization of ultrafine CeF3 nanoparticles (NPs) modified by catanionic surfactant via a reverse micelles-based route. The catanionic surfactant PN was prepared by mixing the di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) and primary amine (N1923) with 1:1 molar ratio. It exhibited a high surface activity and formed much small reverse micelles in comparison with its individual component (DEHPA or N1923). The PN reverse micelles were then used as templates to prepare ultrafine CeF3 NPs. The narrow distributed nanoparticles have an average diameter 1.8 nm. FTIR spectra indicated that there existed strong chemical interactions between nanoparticles and the adsorbed surfactants. The modification resulted in the FTIR peak position of PO shifting to lower energy. Due to the effect of modification and small size, the CeF3 NPs showed a remarkable red shift of 54 nm in the fluorescence emission in comparison with that of bulk material and a red shift of 18 nm in contrast with that of the normal CeF3 NPs with an average diameter of 16 nm.