Reversible and Irreversible Adsorption of Surfactants at a Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode

The adsorption-desorption phenomena of surfactants were studied by measuring differential capacity-potential curves in a static solution and differential capacity-time curves in a flowing solution. The surfactants investigated were Aerosol OT, cetylpyridinium chloride, Hyamin 1622, tetrabutylammonium bromide, Triton X-100 and trioctylphosphineoxide. The differential capacity-potential and differential capacity-time curves for these surfactants showed different shapes, with and without peaks. The differential capacity-time curves were used to study the adsorption reversibility of the surfactants at a mercury electrode. The adsorptions of Hyamin 1622 and Triton X-100 were irreversible at all the potentials investigated. The adsorptions of Aerosol OT and trioctylphosphineoxide were irreversible except at the potential more positive than -0.2 V. The adsorption of tetrabutylammonium bromide was almost reversible at any potential investigated. The adsorption of cetylpyridinium chloride was complicated, indicating different orientations of adsorption.