Degree of counterion binding on water in oil microemulsions

An ion-exchange process has been used to prepare HOT from NaOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate), where the Na(+) counterion has been replaced by H(+). The acidity function, H(0), of the aqueous core of HOT-based microemulsions decreases with W from H(0) approximately 0.6 at W>20 to H(0)=-1.4 at W=2. On the basis of the H(0) acidity function of the aqueous core and the dependence of H(0) on acid concentration, we have been able to determine the degree of counterion binding (beta) in microemulsions with a value of beta approximately 0.92 which is practically independent of the water content of the system.