Surface activity and thermodynamic of micellization and adsorption for isooctylphenol ethoxylates, phosphate esters and their mixtures with N-diethoxylated perfluorooctanamide

Three nonionic surfactants; p-isooctylphenol ethoxylates p-[i-OPE10], p-[i-OPE15], and p-[i-OPE20], were phosphorylated to produce three anionic phosphate ester surfactants. In addition, N-diethoxylated perfluorooctanamide (N-DEFOA) was also prepared. The surface and thermodynamic properties of the three types of surfactants and mixtures of the fluorocarbon surfactant (FC) with the hydrocarbon surfactants (HC) have been investigated. Surface tension as a function of concentration of the surfactant in aqueous solution was measured at 30, 40, 50 and 60°C, using the spinning drop technique. From these measurements the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the surface tension at the CMC (γ_CMC), the maximum surface excess concentration (Γ_max), the minimum area per molecule at the aqueous solution/air interface (A_min), and the effectiveness of surface tension reduction (π_CMC), were calculated. The thermodynamic parameters of micellization (ΔG_mic, ΔH_mic, ΔS_mic) and of adsorption (ΔG_ad, ΔH_ad, ΔS_ad) for these surfactants and their mixtures were also calculated. Structural effects on micellization, adsorption and effectiveness of surface tension reduction are discussed in terms of these parameters. The results show that the FC surfactant and its mixtures with HC surfactants enhance the efficiency in surface tension reduction and adsorption in the mixed monolayer at the aqueous solution/air interface, and also, reduce γ_CMC and the tendency towards micellization.