Aqueous surfactant-alcohol systems: A review

Volumetric and Surface Properties of Short Chain Alcohols in Aqueous Solution-Air Systems at 293 K

From measurements of the surface tension, density, viscosity and light scattering of aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol and propanol at 293 K, their activity in the surface monolayer, surface excess concentration, and apparent and partial molar volume were determined. The surface excess concentration of alcohols at the water–air interface was determined from the Gibbs equation by using both the alcohol's activity and their molar fraction in the bulk phase and recalculated by using the Guggenheim–Adam equation. The values of the surface excess concentration determined from the Gibbs equation were also applied to determine the standard Gibbs energy of alcohol adsorption at the water–air interface from Langmuir’s equation and compared to those determined from that of Aronson and Rosen.

Amphiphile behavior in mixed solvent media I: self-aggregation and ion association of sodium dodecylsulfate in 1,4-dioxane-water and methanol-water media

Mixed aquo-organic solvents are used in chemical, industrial, and pharmaceutical processes along with amphiphilic materials. Their fundamental studies with reference to bulk and interfacial phenomena are thus considered to be important, but such detailed studies are limited. In this work, the interfacial adsorption of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS, C12H25SO4(-)Na(+)) in dioxane-water (Dn-W) and methanol-water (Ml-W) media in extensive mixing ratios along with its bulk behavior have been investigated. The solvent-composition-dependent properties have been identified, and their quantifications have been attempted. The SDS micellization has been assessed in terms of different solvent parameters, and the possible formation of an ion pair and triple ion of the colloidal electrolyte, C12H25SO4(-)Na(+) in the Dn-W medium has been correlated and quantified. In the Ml-W medium at a high volume percent of Ml, the SDS amphiphile formed special associated species instead of ion association. The formation of self-assembly and the energetics of SDS in the mixed solvent media have been determined and assessed using conductometry, calorimetry, tensiometry, viscometry, NMR, and DLS methods. The detailed study undertaken herein with respect to the behavior of SDS in the mixed aquo-organic solvent media (Dn-W and Ml-W) is a new kind of endeavor.

Oil-in-alcohol highly concentrated emulsions as templates for the preparation of macroporous materials

New oil-in-alcohol highly concentrated emulsions were formulated and were used as a templates to obtain macroporous poly(furfuryl alcohol) monoliths by a one-step method. The oil-in-alcohol highly concentrated emulsions were prepared by stepwise addition of the oil phase to the surfactant-alcohol solution and were characterized by optical microscopy and by laser diffraction. The typical structure of highly concentrated emulsions, with close-packed polyhedral droplets, has been observed. Poly(furfuryl alcohol) monoliths were obtained by polymerizing in the external phase of these emulsions. These materials are mainly macroporous and retain the size distribution and morphology from the highly concentrated emulsions. The internal structure of the monoliths was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The images showed an interconnected network with pore size similar to the droplet size of the highly concentrated emulsions used as templates.

Microstructural study of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide / 1-butanol / salt / water system — SANS and 2D-NOESY analysis

Interaction of 1-butanol (BuOH) with a cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) aggregate, in water and salt solution has been studied by viscometry, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and 2D-NMR techniques. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of a possible micellar growth occurring in the presence of added alcohol and salt. It was observed that the addition of BuOH strongly influences the viscosity of the CTAB/salt micellar system, reaching a peak viscosity at about 0.5% w/v of BuOH over a range of salt concentrations. Scattering measurements support the idea of a structural transformation by the observation of a spectral shift (broadening) as the total concentration of surfactant varies, indicating a decrease in the intermicellar distance and narrow size distribution. The chemical shift from 1H NMR measurements gave complementary data on the solubilization of BuOH in CTAB micelles, whereas the expected locus (site) of the additive added to the surfactant including the dynamics of the molecules in micellar aggregates were successfully correlated by significant and positive cross peaks obtained from two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (2D-NOESY).

Quantitative Analysis of Dye Decolourization Reactions in Mixed Micellar Systems of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate with Tween-20, Tween-80, and Triton X-100

The reaction of triphenylmethane dye (ethyl violet) with hydroxyl ion has been investigated in absence and presence of micelles. In micellar solutions, the solubilization of dye carbocation is observed. The reaction rate constant follows pseudo-first order kinetics with respect to the nucleophile. In presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles, an inhibitory effect is observed due to repulsion of the nucleophile to the strongly bound dye carbocation in the negatively charged SDS aggregate. The presence of nonionic surfactant reduces the inhibitory effect of the anionic SDS micelles. Quantitative analysis of the micellar data obtained has been done by applying a positive cooperativity model of enzyme catalysis. The value of n (index of cooperativity) has been found to be greater than 1 for all systems under study. The presence of solvents such as ethanol, n-propanol, and n-butanol reduces the inhibitory effect of the micelles.

Rational design of 3D dendritic TiO2 nanostructures with favorable architectures

Controlling the morphology and size of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) nanostructures is crucial to obtain superior photocatalytic, photovoltaic, and electrochemical properties. However, the synthetic techniques for preparing such structures, especially those with complex configurations, still remain a challenge because of the rapid hydrolysis of Ti-containing polymer precursors in aqueous solution. Herein, we report a completely novel approach-three-dimensional (3D) TiO(2) nanostructures with favorable dendritic architectures-through a simple hydrothermal synthesis. The size of the 3D TiO(2) dendrites and the morphology of the constituent nano-units, in the form of nanorods, nanoribbons, and nanowires, are controlled by adjusting the precursor hydrolysis rate and the surfactant aggregation. These novel configurations of TiO(2) nanostructures possess higher surface area and superior electrochemical properties compared to nanoparticles with smooth surfaces. Our findings provide an effective solution for the synthesis of complex TiO(2) nano-architectures, which can pave the way to further improve the energy storage and energy conversion efficiency of TiO(2)-based devices.

Behavior of the amphiphile CHAPS alone and in combination with the biopolymer inulin in water and isopropanol-water media

Self-aggregation of the zwitterionic surfactant 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) in water and isopropanol-water media, and interaction of the amphiphile with the biopolymer inulin in these media were investigated. The micellar properties of the zwitterionic surfactant and its associated interfacial and bulk properties along with the related energetic, and aggregation number were determined. The different stages of interaction of the CHAPS-inulin combines were identified and assessed. The complexes were formed and aggregated in solution at different stages of their molecular compositions. The aggregated sizes were determined by dynamic light scattering study and the morphology in the solvent removed states were examined using scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope techniques. The results witnessed formation of ensembles of varied and striking patterns.

Hydrotrope-induced inversion of salt effects on the cloud point of an extended surfactant

We report on the effects of electrolytes spanning a range of anions (NaOc, NaSCN, NaNO(3), NaBr, NaCl, NaBu, NaOAc, Na(2)SO(4), Na(2)HPO(4), and Na(2)CO(3)) and cations (LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, and choline chloride) on the aqueous solubility of an extended surfactant. The surfactant is anionic with a long hydrophobic tail as well as a significant fraction of propylene oxide groups and ethylene oxide groups (C(12-14)-PO(16)-EO(2)-SO(4)Na, X-AES). In the absence of electrolytes, X-AES exhibits a cloud-point temperature that decreases with increasing surfactant concentration. After the addition of salts to the surfactant solutions, various shifts in the solubility curves are observed. These shifts follow precisely the same Hofmeister series that is found for salting-in and salting-out effects in protein solutions. In the presence of different concentrations of sodium xylene sulfonate (SXS), the solubility of the surfactant increases. In this context, SXS can be considered to be a salting-in salt. However, when the electrolytes are added to an aqueous solution of X-AES and SXS the Hofmeister series reverses for divalent anions such as Na(2)SO(4), Na(2)HPO(4), and Na(2)CO(3). Studies on the phase behavior and micelle structures using polarization microscopy, freeze-etch TEM, and NMR measurements indicate a dramatic change in the coexisting phases on the addition of SXS.

Liquid interface functionalized by an ion extractant: the case of Winsor III microemulsions

The present work shows for the first time that tributylphosphate (TBP), the major ion extractant used in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, acts efficiently as a cosurfactant in the formation of three-phase microemulsions. The system is composed of water, dodecane, TBP, and an extremely hydrophilic sugar surfactant, n-octyl-β-glucoside. The investigation of the three-phase region (Winsor III), the so-called "fish-cut" diagrams, revealed that TBP exhibits cosurfactant behavior comparable to that of classical cosurfactants n-pentanol and n-hexanol. Upon increasing the cosurfactant/surfactant molar ratio, TBP appears to be more efficient than single-chain alcohols in raising the spontaneous curvature of the adsorbed surfactant film toward oil. This is a direct consequence of the different lateral packing of TBP and n-pentanol or n-hexanol in the mixed surfactant film, with TBP having three alkyl chains and so a higher hydrophobic volume than those n-alcohols. This property is underlined by the interfacial film composition, which is determined by the chemical analysis of the excess phases. It gives a surfactant to cosurfactant molar ratio of 1:1 for TBP and 1:3 for n-hexanol. Moreover, the local microstructure of the microemulsion becomes dependent on the addition of salt when n-alcohol is replaced by TBP. A specific salt effect is also observed and rationalized in terms of the complexing property of TBP and Hofmeister's effects. Treatment of the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) data gives access to (i) the length scales characterizing the microemulsions (i.e., the persistence length, ξ, and aqueous or organic domain sizes, D*) and (ii) the specific surface, Σ. It results that a subtle change is highlighted in the TBP microemulsion structure, in terms of connectivity, according to the type of salt added.

Effect of anionic surfactant and short-chain alcohol mixtures on adsorption at quartz/water and water/air interfaces and the wettability of quartz

Measurements of the advancing contact angles for aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDDS) or sodium hexadecyl sulfonate (SHS) in mixtures with methanol, ethanol, or propanol on a quartz surface were carried out. On the basis of the obtained results and Young and Gibbs equations the critical surface tension of quartz wetting, the composition of the surface layer at the quartz-water interface, and the activity coefficients of the anionic surfactants and alcohols in this layer as well as the work of adhesion of aqueous solutions of anionic surfactant and alcohol mixtures to the quartz surface were determined. The analysis of the contact angle data showed that the wettability of quartz changed visibly only in the range of alcohol and anionic surfactant concentration at which these surface-active agents were present in the solution in the monomeric form. The analysis also showed that there was a linear dependence between the adhesion and the surface tension of aqueous solutions of anionic surfactant and alcohol mixtures. This dependence can be described by linear equations for which the constants depend on the anionic surfactant and alcohol concentrations. The slope of all linear dependence between adhesion and surface tension was positive. The critical surface tension of quartz wetting determined from this dependence by extrapolating the adhesion tension to the value equal to the surface tension (for contact angle equal zero) depends on the assumption whether the concentration of anionic surfactant or alcohol was constant. Its average value is equal to 29.95mN/m and it is considerably lower than the quartz surface tension. The positive slope of the adhesion-surface tension curves was explained by the possibility of the presence of liquid vapor film beyond the solution drop which settled on the quartz surface and the adsorption of surface-active agents at the quartz/monolayer water film-water interface. This conclusion was confirmed by the work of adhesion of aqueous solutions of anionic surfactants and short-chain alcohol mixtures to the quartz surface determined on the basis of the contact angle data and molar fraction of anionic surfactants and alcohols and their activity coefficient in the surface layer.