Aggregation behavior of gemini surfactants and their interaction with macromolecules in aqueous solution

Effects of structure dissymmetry on aggregation behaviors of quaternary ammonium Gemini surfactants in a protic ionic liquid EAN

The aggregation behaviors of a series of dissymmetric cationic Gemini surfactants, [C(m)H(2m+1)(CH(3))(2)N(CH(2))(2)N(CH(3))(2)C(n)H(2n+1)]Br(2), designated as m-2-n (with a fixed m + n = 24, m = 16, 14, 12) have been investigated in a protic ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN). Surface tension, polarized optical microscopy (POM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and rheological measurements are adopted to investigate the micellization and lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) formation. The obtained results indicate that the structure dissymmetry plays an important role in aggregation process of m-2-n. With increasing degree of dissymmetry, the critical micellization concentration, the maximum reduction of solvent surface tension, and the minimum area occupied per surfactant molecule at the air/EAN interface all become smaller. The thermostability of formed LLCs is therefore improved because of the more compact molecules. These characteristics can be explained by the enhancement of solvophobic effect due to the increased structure dissymmetry of Gemini surfactants.

Spontaneous aggregate transition in mixtures of a cationic gemini surfactant with a double-chain cationic surfactant

Controllable aggregate transitions were realized by mixing two kinds of cationic surfactants, hexylene-1,6-bis(dodecyldimethylammonium bromide) (C(12)C(6)C(12)Br(2)) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). It was found that two parameters are the main factors determining the aggregation behavior of the mixed system, the total concentration of DDAB and C(12)C(6)C(12)Br(2) (C(T)), and the mole fraction of DDAB in the mixtures of DDAB and C(12)C(6)C(12)Br(2) (X(DDAB)). How these two parameters act on the aggregate transitions was studied in detail by various measurements including surface tension, turbidity, electrical conductivity, ζ potential, isothermal titration microcalorimetry, dynamic light scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and (1)H NMR. When C(T) was constant, spontaneous vesicle-to-micelle transitions were found with decreasing X(DDAB) at high C(T). When X(DDAB) was constant, aggregate transitions were generated by gradually increasing C(T), depending on different X(DDAB) ranges. At X(DDAB) < 0.6, small spherical aggregates formed first and then transferred to vesicles, and finally the vesicles transitioned to micelles. At X(DDAB) ≥ 0.6, the progressive increase in C(T) led to aggregate transitions on the order of the arising of vesicles, the continuous growth of vesicles, the disruption of vesicles into micelles, and the final coexistence of vesicles and micelles. The hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic repulsion between DDAB and C(12)C(6)C(12)Br(2) together with the related degree of ionization and hydration of the surfactants were gradually adjusted by changing the ratio and the total concentration of these two surfactants, which should be responsible for the complicated aggregation behavior.

Effects of calcium ions on solubility and aggregation behavior of an anionic sulfonate gemini surfactant in aqueous solutions

Effects of calcium ions on the solubility and aggregation behavior of an anionic sulfonate gemini surfactant 1,3-bis(N-dodecyl-N-propylsulfonate sodium)-propane (12-3-12(SO(3))(2)) have been studied in aqueous solution. Compared with single-chain surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate, 12-3-12(SO(3))(2) shows much better performance to the hardness tolerance with calcium ions. Moreover aggregates of the Ca(2+)/12-3-12(SO(3))(2) complexes in clear solutions influence the morphologies of the precipitates. At 12-3-12(SO(3))(2) concentrations lower than 1.5 mM, the small spherical micelles of Ca(2+)/12-3-12(SO(3))(2) in clear solutions generate precipitates of solid particles owing to complexation of surfactant monomers with Ca(2+). At 12-3-12(SO(3))(2) concentrations higher than 1.5mM, the Ca(2+)/12-3-12(SO(3))(2) complexes transform into large compact spherical aggregates and then into long wormlike micelles. These large aggregates are well dispersed in aqueous solutions and efficiently complex calcium ions. In particular, long wormlike micelles are entangled with each other at 100.0 mM CaCl(2) and 100.0 mM 12-3-12(SO(3))(2) exhibiting viscoelastic properties. In addition, the stacking of long wormlike micelles produces precipitates with ordered fibrillar structures. This work reveals that such anionic sulfonate gemini surfactants are better candidates than single-chain surfactants in applications with high hardness levels, and the ordered aggregate structures may have potential applications in materials science.

Nonaqueous lyotropic liquid-crystalline phases formed by gemini surfactants in a protic ionic liquid

The aggregation behaviors of three Gemini surfactants [(C(s)H(2s)-α,ω-(Me(2)N(+)C(m)H(2m+1)Br(-))(2), s = 2, m = 10, 12, 14] in a protic ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), have been investigated. The polarized optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements are used to explore the lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) formation. Compared to the LLCs formed in aqueous environment, the normal hexagonal and lamellar phases disappear. However, with increasing the surfactant concentration, a new reverse hexagonal phase (H(II)) can be mapped over a large temperature range except for other ordered aggregates including the isotropic solution phase and a two-phase coexistence region. The structural parameters of the H(II) are calculated from the corresponding SAXS patterns, showing the influence of surfactant amount, alkyl chain length, and temperature. Meanwhile, the rheological profiles indicate a typical Maxwell behavior of the LLC phases formed in EAN.

Surface properties of Gemini surfactants with pyrrolidinium head groups

Gemini surfactants C(n)-4-(n)PB (where n represents the alkyl chain length of 10, 12, 14 and 16) were synthesized and characterized. Their surface activity, thermodynamic properties, and aggregation behavior were investigated by means of surface tension, electrical conductivity, and steady-state fluorescence. It was found that the Gemini surfactants C(n)-4-(n)PB have superior surface activity to their corresponding monomer surfactants C(n)MPB as expected. Additionally, these compounds have lower cmc and surface tension in comparison with conventional cationic Gemini surfactants m-4-m. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG(m)(0),ΔH(m)(0),TΔS(m)(0)) show that the micellization is an entropy driven process with shorter hydrophobic chain lengths but instead is enthalpy driven for longer hydrophobic chain lengths. The effect of the hydrophobic alkyl chain length and the addition of inorganic salt NaBr on the surface activity and micellization are in line with the conventional cationic Gemini surfactants.

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of a hexameric quaternary ammonium surfactant

A star-shaped hexameric quaternary ammonium surfactant (PAHB), bearing six hydrophobic chains and six charged hydrophilic headgroups connected by an amide-type spacer group, was synthesized. The self-assembly behavior of the surfactant in aqueous solution was studied by surface tension, electrical conductivity, isothermal titration microcalorimetry, dynamic light scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and NMR techniques. The results reveal that there are two critical aggregate concentrations during the process of aggregation, namely C(1) and C(2). The aggregate transitions are proved to be caused by the changes of the surfactant configuration through hydrophobic interaction among the hydrocarbon chains. Below C(1), PAHB may present a star-shaped molecular configuration due to intramolecular electrostatic repulsion among the charged headgroups, and large aggregates with network-like structure are observed. Between C(1) and C(2), the hydrophobic interaction among the hydrophobic chains may become stronger to make the hydrophobic chains of the PAHB molecules curve back and pack more closely, and then the network-like aggregates transfer to large spherical aggregates of ∼100 nm. Beyond C(2), the hydrophobic interaction may become strong enough to cause the PAHB molecular configuration to turn into a pyramid-like shape, resulting in the transition of the spherical large aggregates to spherical micelles of ∼10 nm. Interestingly, the PAHB displays high emulsification ability to linear fatty alkyls even at very low concentration.