Simulations of a lattice model of two-headed linear amphiphiles: Influence of amphiphile asymmetry

Asymmetric cationic gemini surfactants: an improved synthetic procedure and the micellar and surface properties of a homologous series in the presence of simple salts

The micellar and morphological properties of symmetric, cationic gemini surfactants have been well studied in the literature as a function of nature and type of the spacer group and the length and type of hydrophobic chain. In this paper, we have examined the effects of tail asymmetry on the properties of a series of cationic surfactants, the N-alkyl-1-N′-alkyl-2-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyldiammonium dibromide. A novel synthetic method is used to prepare a series of these surfactants and the consequences of asymmetry on micellar properties are presented. This new method has been shown to be more efficient, with higher yields of the asymmetric surfactants than the yields of the accepted literature method. The critical micelle concentration values and the micelle sizes of the asymmetric gemini surfactants, 12-4-12, 12-4-10, 12-4-8, and 12-4-6 gemini surfactants, were obtained from conductivity and dynamic light scattering. With increasing chain asymmetry, the size of the micelle increased due to the formation of loose micelles. The addition of NaCl and Na2SO4 to the surfactant solutions increased the aggregate size, and this effect was more pronounced with increasing salt concentrations. These results are interpreted in terms of the effect these ions have on the “compactness” of the micelle structure.

On the Difference between Self-Assembling Process of Monomeric and Dimeric Surfactants with the Same Head to Tail Ratio: A Lattice Monte Carlo Simulation

Experimental data show that gemini surfactants have critical micelle concentrations that are almost tenfold lower than the CMCs of single chain ones. It is believed that the spacer groups play an important role in this subject. Short hydrophilic or long hydrophobic spacers can reduce CMC dramatically. In this paper, self-assembling processes of double-chain and one-chain surfactants with the same head to tail ratio are compared. Dimeric chain structure is exactly double of single chain. In other words, hydrophilic-lyophilic balances of two chain models are the same. Two single chains are connected head-to-head to form a dimeric chain, without introducing extra head or tail beads as a spacer group. Premicellar, micellar, and shape/phase transition ranges of both models are investigated. To do this, lattice Monte Carlo simulation in canonical ensemble has been used. Results show that without introducing extra beads as spacer group, the CMC of (H3T3)2as a dimeric surfactant is much lower than the CMC of its similar single chain, H3T3. For dimeric case of study, it is shown that bolaform aggregates are formed.