Physicochemical properties of α, ω-type bolaform surfactant in aqueous solution. Eicosane-1,20-bis(triethylammonium bromide)

The physicochemical properties of the, - type (bolaform) surfactant, eicosane-1, 20-bis(triethylammonium bromide) (C₂₀Et₆), in aqueous solution have been investigated by means of surface tension, electrical conductivity, dye solubilization, and time-resolved fluorescence quenching (determination of average micelle aggregation number). Using electrical conductivity, the critical micelle concentration of C₂₀Et₆ was found to be 6.0×10^–3 mol dm^–3 and the ionization degree of C²⁰Et₆ micelle was found to be 0.42. From surface tension measurments, the molecular area of C₂₀Et₆ at the air-water interface was about twice that of normal type surfactants such as dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). The solubilizing power of micellar solution of C₂₀Et₆ toward Orange OT was 1.0×10^–2 mole of dye per mole of surfactant, i. e., slightly smaller than that of DTAB. The micelle aggregation number,N, was found to be 17±2 by time-resolved fluorescence quenching. C₂₀Et₆ showed a very small temperature dependence ofN, much less than for normal surfactants.