Reversed micellar solutions in the system sodium octanoate/decanol/water: Model calculations and dynamic light scattering measurements

Geometrical calculations of aggregate sizes in the reversed micellar solution phase of the system water/sodium octanoate/decanol at 20 °C have been tested by dynamic light scattering studies. The autocorrelation functions were interpreted in the simplest possible way (monodisperse aggregates, Stokes-Einstein diffusion equations) since the geometrical model does not account for detailed changes in shapes or micellar interactions. The model predicts the main features of micellization in these solutions, i. e., the micelles grow continuously as the concentration of water or the molar ratio water/octanoate increases, association begins at quite low concentrations of water and the surrounding decanolic solvent behaves as pure decanol which is saturated with water.