Micellar interactions in water-AOT based droplet microemulsions containing hydrophilic and amphiphilic polymers.

We investigate the influence of addition of hydrophilic and amphiphilic polymer on percolation behavior and micellar interactions in AOT-based water-in-oil droplet microemulsions. We focus on two series of samples having constant molar water to surfactant ratio W = 20 and constant droplet volume fraction Φ = 30%, respectively. From dielectric spectroscopy experiments, we extract the bending rigidity of the surfactant shell by percolation temperature measurements. Depending on droplet size, we find stabilization and destabilization of the surfactant shell upon addition of hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Mn = 3100 g mol(-1)) and amphiphilic poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer with comparable length of the hydrophilic block. Complementary small angle X-ray scattering experiments corroborate the finding of stabilization for smaller droplets and destabilization of larger droplets. Subsequent analysis of dielectric spectra enables us to extract detailed information about micellar interactions and clustering by evaluating the dielectric high frequency shell relaxation. We interpret the observed results as a possible modification of the inter-droplet charge transfer efficiency by addition of PEG polymer, while the amphiphilic polymer shows a comparable, but dampened effect.

Concentration fluctuations in a binary glass former investigated by x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

We investigate structure and dynamics of concentration fluctuations in the binary glass former methyl-tetrahydrofuran and oligomeric methyl metacrylate by photon correlation spectroscopy with partially coherent x-rays from a synchrotron source. Although the system is macroscopically well miscible and optically clear in the full temperature range, calorimetric and dielectric measurements reveal two distinct glass transition temperatures. The relaxation of long range concentration fluctuations turns out to be diffusive and exponential only well above the upper glass transition temperature. As the characteristic time tau(cf) for concentration fluctuations shows a much weaker temperature dependence than the alpha-relaxation both traces finally intersect upon lowering the temperature. Thus, close to T(g), the concentration fluctuations show pronounced features of out-of-equilibrium dynamics such as compressed relaxation functions and a crossover to a ballistic wave vector dependence of tau(cf), like previously observed in various soft matter systems. Moreover, the analysis of time-resolved correlation functions reveals that the relaxation of concentration fluctuations around T(g) involves pronounced dynamic heterogeneities.

Water-AOT-alkylbenzene microemulsions: influence of alkyl chain length on structure and percolation behavior.

We study the percolation behavior of the water-in-oil (w/o) droplet phase of AOT (sodium bis[2-ethylhexyl] sulfosuccinate)-based microemulsions with different alkylbenzenes (toluene, ethylbenzene, butylbenzene or octylbenzene) as oil phase. We use microemulsions of varying composition with molar water to surfactant ratios 0≤W≤ 50 and droplet (water plus surfactant) volume fractions 10%≤φ≤50%. Using dielectric spectroscopy, a percolation transition is observed in w/o microemulsions with butylbenzene or octylbenzene. With increasing molecular weight of the alkylbenzene, the percolation temperature T(P) decreases. The structure of the microemulsions is determined by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). With increasing molar weight of the alkylbenzene, the stability range of the L(2) droplet phase extends to higher W. The larger amount of solubilizable water can be related to variable oil penetration of the AOT monolayer, which affects the spontaneous curvature of the surfactant shell.

All-optoelectronic continuous-wave terahertz systems.

We discuss the optoelectronic generation and detection of continuous-wave terahertz (THz) radiation by the mixing of visible/near-infrared laser radiation in photoconductive antennas. We review attempts to reach higher THz output-power levels by reverting from mobility-lifetime-limited photomixers to transit-time-limited p-i-n photodiodes. We then describe our implementation of a THz spectroscopy and imaging-measurement system and demonstrate its imaging performance with several examples. Possible application areas of THz imaging in the biomedical field and in surface characterization for industrial purposes are explored.