Lecithin Organogels Containing Poly(ethylene glycol) Monolaurate

The effect of added poly(ethylene glycol) monolaurate (PEGML) on the formation and properties of lecithin organogels composed of polymer-like micelles was studied by the methods of dynamic rheology and the Fourier transform IR spectroscopy. It was established that the addition of even small amounts of PEGML causes a significant decrease in viscosity, whereas the elastic properties of organogels remained almost unchanged. The analysis of the scaling dependences indicated that the formation mechanism of polymer-like lecithin micelles remained also unchanged. Spectral studies revealed that the PEGML molecules affect intermolecular hydrogen bonding during their incorporation into micelles, thus stabilizing micellar structure. This effect is caused by the partial dehydration of the lecithin polar region. This leads to a decrease in the number of hydrogen bonds or their weakening and, as a result, to the disintegration of polymer-like lecithin micelles into shorter micellar aggregates.