Lamellar phase formation in catanionic mixtures of hydrogenated and fluorinated surfactants: a comparative study

The properties and phase behaviors of the catanionic mixtures consisting of tetradecyltrimetylammonium bromide (TTABr) and different anionic surfactants (i.e., sodium docanoate, C₁₀HOONa; sodium laurate, C₁₂HOONa; sodium perfluorodecanoate, C₁₀FOONa) were examined, in particular when the molar mixing ratio in the aqueous solution was exactly 1:1. Although the three inspected systems have identical head groups and counterions, they exhibited very different lamellar (L_α) phases. When using the hydrogenated surfactants, the C₁₀HOONa–TTABr system formed domain-like L_α/L₁ two phases and the C₁₂HOONa–TTABr system formed cream-like L_α/L₁ two phases, respectively. In the case of the perfluorinated surfactant, the C₁₀FOONa–TTABr system formed interdigitated and tilted L_α gel. The microstructures of the three L_α phases were characterized by polarized microscope, freeze-fracture transmission electron microscope, small angle X-ray scattering, and X-ray diffraction. The phase transition of the lamellar gel at different temperature was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and rheological measurements. The results elucidated the formation of the L_α phase in catanionic mixtures containing hydrogenated or fluorinated anionic surfactants with molar mixing ratio of 1:1.