Effect of the Cationic Head Group on Cationic Surfactant-Based Surfactant Mediated Gelation (SMG).

The surfactant-mediated gelation (SMG) method allows us to formulate hydrogels using a water-insoluble organogelator. In this study, we formulated hydrogels using three cationic surfactants, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), and hexadecylpyridinium chloride (CPC)] and an organogelator (12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12-HOA), and studied their structures and mechanical properties. A fiber-like structure similar to that found in the 12-HOA-based organogels was observed by optical microscopy. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering profiles showed Bragg peaks derived from the long- and short-spacing of the crystalline structures in the gel fibers and a correlation peak from the surfactant micelles in the small-angle region. Furthermore, the formation of micelles in the hydrogels was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopic measurements of the gel samples in the presence of Rhodamine 6G. We concluded that the hydrogels prepared by the SMG method in the present systems are orthogonal molecular assembled systems in which two different molecular assembled structures coexist. Among the three surfactant systems, the CTAB system presented the lowest critical gelation concentration and highest sol-gel transition temperature and viscoelasticity. These differences in gel fiber formation and gel properties were discussed from the viewpoint of the degree of solubilization of the gelator molecules in micelles coexisting with gel fibers and diffusion of the gelator molecules in the gel formation process.

Hydrogelation with a water-insoluble organogelator - surfactant mediated gelation (SMG).

The low-molecular-weight gelator (LMG) 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12-HOA) is insoluble in water, but can be solubilized in surfactant micelles. We therefore solubilized 12-HOA at 80 °C in an aqueous solution of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) containing spherical micelles. On cooling this system down to room temperature, a hydrogel is obtained. We will refer to this process as "surfactant-mediated gelation" (SMG). The hydrogels were formed at a lower 12-HOA concentration when sodium salicylate (NaSal) was added to the CTAB system, which induced the formation of wormlike micelles. Hydrogels obtained by SMG from spherical and wormlike micelles are referred to as gelled micellar phases (GMs) and gelled wormlike micellar phases (GWLMs), respectively. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that 12-HOA forms self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFiNs) in both GMs and GWLMs. The sol-gel transition temperature, Tsol-gel, of the GWLM samples was higher than that of the GM samples. Dynamic rheological measurements revealed gel properties (G' > G'' at all angular frequencies) for both gels; however, a higher viscoelasticity was observed for the GWLM samples, which in turn, was reflected in the higher Tsol-gel. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) showed that micelles and gel fibers coexist in the GM and GWLM samples. Our study demonstrates the gelation of aqueous micellar solutions with water-insoluble LMGs.

Demonstration of a Novel Charge-Free Reverse Wormlike Micelle System.

We demonstrate a novel charge-free reverse wormlike micelle (RWLM) consisting of a ternary mixture of a nonionic amphiphilic block copolymer, fatty acid alkyl ester oil, and water under ambient conditions. Nonionic amphiphile tetra-[poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxybutylene)]pentaerythrityl ether (TEBPE) self-assembled into spheroid-type micelles in nonaqueous media isopropyl myristate (IPM) with viscosity comparable to that of IPM. The addition of water increases viscosity only slightly up to a certain concentration of water and then drastically, demonstrating the sphere-to-wormlike micelle transition as confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering. Further increase in water decreases the viscosity after attaining a maximum value. The zero shear viscosity (η0) of the 10 wt % TEBPE/IPM system reached the maximum at 2.6 wt % water and ca. 56 Pa·s, which is ∼fivefold higher than that of water. Dynamic rheological measurements on the highly viscous solutions confirmed the viscoelastic behavior and could be described by the Maxwell model. Conductivity, measured in the presence of a conductive probe, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, was found to be higher for viscous samples compared to the nonviscous samples, suggesting the static percolation caused by the RWLM formation. Decrease in η0 and conductivity beyond a maximum suggests the shortening of reverse micelles. A similar behavior has been observed in other fatty acid alkyl ester oils of different alkyl chain lengths. Note that most of the RWLM systems previously reported are based on phosphatidylcholine (PC). Formulation and structure-properties related to non-PC-based RWLMs have been rarely explored. Non-PC-based RWLMs using chemically stable and low-cost synthetic molecules can be applied not only in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics but also in a wide range of applications including drag reduction agents for nonaqueous fluids and as a template for nanomaterial synthesis.

Gelling Lamellar Phases of the Binary System Water-Didodecyldimethylammonium Bromide with an Organogelator.

Does the presence of a gel network influence the properties of a lyotropic liquid crystal? Does the replacement of oil by a lyotropic liquid crystal influence the properties of an organogel? To answer these questions we study gelled lyotropic liquid crystals (LLC). In the present study we show that it is possible to gel the lamellar phase of the binary system water-didodecyl dimethylammonium bromide (2C12DAB) with the organogelator 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (12-HOA). We compare various properties of the gelled LLC phases with the "parent systems", i.e., with the binary organogel consisting of n-decane-12-HOA and with the nongelled LC phases, respectively. Optical and electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheometry, as well as small and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) proved the coexistence of an Lα phase and a 12-HOA gel network in the gelled Lα phase. However, a small influence of the Lα phase on the gel properties was seen, namely slightly lower sol-gel transition temperatures and viscoelastic moduli of the gelled Lα phase compared to the binary gel. On the other hand, the presence of the gel also has an influence on the Lα phase: the interlayer spacing of the surfactant bilayers in the gelled Lα phases is slightly larger compared to the nongelled Lα phases, which is due to mixing part of the 12-HOA molecules in the Lα bilayers. Despite this mutual influence the structures of both the Lα phase and the gel network are hardly disturbed in the gelled Lα phase, i.e., that the self-assembly of the surfactant and of the gelator molecules clearly occur in an orthogonal way.

One-step formulation of nonionic surfactant bicelles (NSBs) by a double-tailed polyglycerol-type nonionic surfactant.

Bicelles are generally formed by phospholipid-based systems and are useful for various applications, such as nanocarriers or membrane protein crystallization. The same disc-like assemblies, nonionic surfactant bicelles (NSBs), can also be formed using nonionic amphiphiles, but this has not been reported extensively. We report a novel NSB system that employs the double-tailed nonionic amphiphile, polyglyceryl dialkyl ether (C12CmGn), which has two alkyl chains and a polyglyceryl group. A symmetric-tail molecule, C12C12G13.8, formed vesicles, whereas an asymmetric-tail molecule, C12C14G15.5, formed NSBs through a simple one-step process using ultrasonication. The 1 wt% aqueous solution of C12C14G15.5 was in a two-phase equilibrium of a lamellar phase and a water phase. Transparent dispersion was obtained through ultrasonication treatment. The size distribution in the dispersion was obtained by dynamic light scattering (DLS), resulting in a narrow distribution of around 20 nm in diameter. A negatively-stained transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showed oblong and spherical shapes, which are typically observed in bicelle-forming systems. A small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurement well proved bicelle formation by fitting a core-shell bicelle form factor model. The disc thickness and diameter were in agreement with the values obtained by DLS and TEM, respectively. A larger shell thickness at the rim part than at the flat disc part suggested that NSB aggregates have inhomogeneous molecular distribution. Similar to phospholipid systems, the bicelle-forming C12C14G15.5 system produced a defective lamellar phase formation at high surfactant concentrations, whereas a general lamellar phase was formed in the vesicle-forming C12C12G13.8 system.

Formation of bilayer membrane and niosomes by double-tailed polyglyceryl-type nonionic surfactant.

Vesicles with synthetic nonionic surfactants are called niosomes or NSVs, and these have been the focus of attention as an alternative to phospholipid liposomes as drug carriers. Especially it is demanded to discover novel niosomal systems with polyol-type nonionic surfactants from the viewpoint of environmental aspects. In this paper, a novel series of double-tailed nonionic surfactants, polyglyceryl dialkyl ethers, (C12)2Gn (n = 2.3, 5.4, 9.4, and 13.8), was synthesized, and its aqueous phase behavior and niosome formation were studied. Because of its double-tailed molecular structure, a lamellar liquid crystalline phase was dominant in the binary phase diagrams for different polyglyceryl chain lengths. The single lamellar liquid crystalline phase region was expanded as the polymerization degree in the hydrophilic moiety increased. Small-angle X-ray scattering spectra revealed the lamellar structure for the (C12)2G2.3 was extremely loose. Molecular packing in the lamellar phase was analyzed except for the (C12)2G2.3 system by using a geometrical model of the lamellar phase. The effective cross-sectional area per molecule at the interface increased extensively as dilution for the (C12)2G13.8 system but remained almost unchanged for the (C12)2G5.4 system. From the molecular parameters, water-holding ability in the lamellar phase was evaluated, and the results indicated strong hydration ability of the long polyglyceryl chain. In a dilute region, micron-sized giant niosomes and small niosomes of about 100 nm were formulated by vortex mixing and ultrasonication, respectively. The multilamellar structure of the small niosomes was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Cholesterol addition in the present surfactant lamellar phase induced the phase transition to the liquid ordered phase, which is the same phenomenon in a phospholipid-cholesterol mixture. The stability of niosomes with/without cholesterol was monitored by the niosome size change. In both cases, the niosomes were stable for at least 100 days.

Nonionic amphiphile nanoarchitectonics: self-assembly into micelles and lyotropic liquid crystals.

Amphiphiles, molecules that possess both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties, are architecturally simple molecules that can spontaneously self-assemble into complex hierarchical structures from lower to higher dimensions either in the bulk phase or at an interface. Recent developments in multifunctional nanostructure design using the advanced concept of nanoarchitectonics utilize this simple process of assembly. Amphiphilic self-assemblies involving lipids or proteins mimic the structure of biological systems, thus highlighting the necessity of a fundamental physical understanding of amphiphilic self-assembly towards a realization of the complex mechanisms operating in nature. Herein, we describe self-assembled microstructures of biocompatible and biodegradable tetraglycerol lauryl ether (C12G4) nonionic surfactant in an aqueous solvent system. Temperature-composition analyses of equilibrium phases identified by using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) provide strong evidence of various spontaneously self-assembled mesostructures, such as normal micelles (Wm), hexagonal liquid crystal (H1), and reverse micelles (Om). In contrast to conventional poly(oxyethylene) nonionic surfactants, C12G4 did not exhibit the clouding phenomenon at higher temperatures (phase separation was not observed up to 100 °C), demonstrating the greater thermal stability of the self-assembled mesophases. Generalized indirect Fourier transformation (GIFT) evaluation of the SAXS data confirmed the formation of core-shell-type spherical micelles with a maximum dimension ca. 8.7 nm. The shape and size of the C12G4 micelles remained apparently unchanged over a wide range of concentrations (up to 20%), but intermicellar interactions increased and could be described by the Percus-Yevick (PY) theory (after Carnahan and Starling), which provides a very accurate analytical expression for the osmotic pressure of a monodisperse hard sphere.

Persistence of the Antibacterial and Antiviral Effects after Skin Cleansing ~A New Approach to Suppress the Contact Infection~.

Handwashing represents an important personal hygiene measure for preventing infection. Herein, we report the persistence of antibacterial and antiviral effects after handwashing with fatty acid salt-based hand soap. To this end, we developed a new in vitro test method to measure persistence, utilizing coacervation formed by anionic surfactants and cationic polymers to retain highly effective soap components against each bacterium and virus on the skin. Coacervation with fatty acid salts and poly diallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) as a cationic polymer allowed the persistence of antibacterial and antiviral effects against E. coli, S. aureus, and influenza virus even 4 h after handwashing. Furthermore, we confirmed an increase in the number of residual components effective against each bacterium and virus on the skin. In summary, the current findings describe an effective approach for enhancing the protective effects of handwashing.

Effect of Micellar Shape on Viscoelastic Behavior and Gel Network Structure of Hydrogel Formed by Surfactant-mediated Gelation Using Glutamic-acid-based Organogelator.

Surfactant-mediated gelation (SMG) is a technique used to form hydrogels by solubilizing water-insoluble low-molecular-weight organogelators in surfactant micelles. In this study, we investigated the viscoelastic behavior of SMG hydrogels and the effect of micellar shape on their gel network structure using a glutamic acid-based organogelator. Stress-strain curves obtained from static viscoelasticity measurements showed that a wormlike micelle-mediated gel (W-SMG) exhibited a higher stress than a spherical micelle-mediated gel (S-SMG). From the viscosity-shear rate curve (flow curve), we inferred that the SMG gel exhibited a shear thickening behavior, particularly W-SMG. Microscopic observations revealed that W-SMG formed a denser and more uniform gel network than S-SMG when subjected to strong shearing. W-SMG showed remarkable adhesiveness and a significantly higher tensile normal stress than S-SMG. The storage modulus and loss modulus of W-SMG and the wormlike micellar solution obtained from frequency sweep measurements of the dynamic viscoelasticity were analyzed by Maxwell fitting. The wormlike micellar solution produced a good fit with the single Maxwell model, whereas W-SMG produced the best fit with the generalized Maxwell model comprising two Maxwell elements. From the relaxation time characteristics obtained from the Maxwell model, W-SMG was found to be a viscoelastic material coexisting with a structure having a short relaxation time derived from the gel network and a long relaxation time derived from the wormlike micelle. Under the oscillation strain measured by a rheometer, W-SMG showed a greater normal stress than the wormlike micellar solution, indicating a significant Weissenberg effect.

Preparation of mesoporous/macroporous materials in highly concentrated emulsions based on cubic phases by a single-step method.

A novel and simple single-step method for the preparation of meso/macroporous silica materials is described, which consists in templating in highly concentrated emulsions with a cubic liquid crystal in the continuous phase. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was solubilized in the aqueous continuous phase of highly concentrated emulsions stabilized by C(12)(EO)(8) and a PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymer nonionic surfactant, with a cubic liquid crystalline phase of the Fd3m type. The resulting silica materials were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, nitrogen sorption and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that a dual pore size distribution was obtained, consisting of mesopores in the nanometer range and macropores between 1 and 5 µm. These dual meso/macroporous silicas with bimodal pore size distribution can possess specific surface areas higher than 400 m(2)/g.

Structure and rheology of charge-free reverse micelles in aromatic liquid phenyloctane.

Reverse micelles formulation requires an inclusion of water or other polar molecules in the binary mixture of ionic surfactant and oil and generally exhibit spheroid geometry with a small aggregation number. Here, we report structure and rheology of charge-free (nonionic) reverse micelles in surfactant/oil systems. We have systematically investigated intrinsic parameters for the shape, size, and internal cross section structure control of such micelles using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and the rheometry. We found that diglycerol monomyristate (C14G2) when added into an aromatic organic liquid phenyloctane, spontaneously self-assembles into spheroid micelles with maximum diameter ca. 6.7 nm. Decrease in surfactant chain length favors globular-to-rod type transition and micellar aggregation number (N(agg)) increases significantly. On the other hand, increase in surfactant weight fraction induces one-dimensional (1-D) micellar growth; N(agg) increases in parallel to the surfactant concentration. Reverse micelles shrink with the rise of temperature, which is close to the rod-to-sphere type transition. However, water causes a significant micellar growth; N(agg) increases drastically, which shows that water not only increase reverse micellar size but also increases the number of surfactant molecules per micelle. All these microstructure transitions could be understood in terms of the modification of the critical packing parameter (cpp). The SAXS results are very well supported by the geometrical model fittings and rheometry.

Structural characterizations of diglycerol monomyristate reverse micelles in aromatic solvent ethylbenzene.

Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) we have investigated the shape and size of diglycerol monomyristate (designated as C14G2) nonionic surfactant reverse micelles in aromatic solvent ethylbenzene as a function of surfactant concentration, temperature, and water. When C14G2 is added into ethylbenzene globular type reverse micelles with maximum core diameter ca. 4.5 nm are formed under ambient conditions. The micellar structure (shape and size) did not change with the surfactant concentration. However, an increase in temperature decreased the micellar size due to an increase in the critical packing parameter (cpp). Surfactant becomes more lipophilic upon heating and the micellar curvature tends to become more negative at higher temperature. Addition of a small amount of water caused a significant micellar growth. For instance, incorporation of 0.3% water in the 5% C14G2/ethylbenzene system resulted in the formation of 2.1 time bigger micelles with a small water pool in the micellar core. Besides the micellar shape is modified into an ellipsoidal prolate, whose scenario can be understood in terms of hydration of the surfactant's headgroup. Hydration decreases the cpp and favors micellar growth. An increase of temperature of a water incorporated system decreased the micellar size due to dehydration, which is equivalent to rod-to-sphere type transition.

Hydrogel Formation by Glutamic-acid-based Organogelator Using Surfactant-mediated Gelation.

Hydrogels formed by low-molecular-weight gelators have reversible sol-gel transition and responsiveness to various stimuli, and are used in cosmetics and drug applications. It is challenging to obtain hydrogels using novel gelators because subtle differences in their molecular architecture affect gelation. Organogelators (which form organogels) are insoluble in water, and their use as hydrogelators has not previously been considered. However, a surfactant-mediated gelation method was reported in which organogelators were solubilized in water by surfactants to form hydrogels using 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid. To investigate whether this method can be applied with other organogelators, the formation of hydrogel using a glutamic-acid-based organogelator was studied here. Hydrogels were formed by solubilizing 1:1 mixtures of glutamate-based organogelators, N-lauroyl-L-glutamic acid dibuthylamide, and N-2-ethylhexanoyl-L-glutamic acid dibutylamide in aqueous micellar solutions of anionic surfactant (sodium lauroyl glutamate) and cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium chloride). The minimum gelation concentration of the hydrogel was ~0.2-0.6 wt%. By changing the molar fraction of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride in the mixed surfactant, either spherical or wormlike micelles were formed. The hydrogel with wormlike micelles had a higher sol-gel transition temperature than that with spherical micelles and formed fine self-assembled fibrillar networks. Additionally, the hydrogel with the spherical micelles was elastic, whereas that with wormlike micelles was viscoelastic, suggesting that networks of the organogelators and wormlike micelles coexisted in the hydrogel from the wormlike micellar solution. Moreover, the hydrogel suppressed the reduction in the storage modulus at higher temperatures compared with the micellar aqueous solution, indicating that the elastic properties of the organogelator networks were maintained at high temperatures. The gel fibers of the hydrogel partially formed a loosely aggregated structure as the temperature increased, the fibers bundled via hydrophobic interactions, and new cross-linking points formed spontaneously. This phenomenon corresponded with an inflection point in the temperature-dependent storage modulus of the hydrogel.

Phase behavior and rheological analysis of reverse liquid crystals and W/I2 and W/H2 gel emulsions using an amphiphilic block copolymer.

This article reports the phase behavior determi-nation of a system forming reverse liquid crystals and the formation of novel disperse systems in the two-phase region. The studied system is formed by water, cyclohexane, and Pluronic L-121, an amphiphilic block copolymer considered of special interest due to its aggregation and structural properties. This system forms reverse cubic (I2) and reverse hexagonal (H2) phases at high polymer concentrations. These reverse phases are of particular interest since in the two-phase region, stable high internal phase reverse emulsions can be formed. The characterization of the I2 and H2 phases and of the derived gel emulsions was performed with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and rheometry, and the influence of temperature and water content was studied. The H2 phase experimented a thermal transition to an I2 phase when temperature was increased, which presented an Fd3m structure. All samples showed a strong shear thinning behavior from low shear rates. The elastic modulus (G') in the I2 phase was around 1 order of magnitude higher than in the H2 phase. G' was predominantly higher than the viscous modulus (G''). In the gel emulsions, G' was nearly frequency-independent, indicating their gel type nature. Contrarily to water-in-oil (W/O) normal emulsions, in W/I2 and W/H2 gel emulsions, G', the complex viscosity (|η*|), and the yield stress (τ0) decreased with increasing water content, since the highly viscous microstructure of the continuous phase was responsible for the high viscosity and elastic behavior of the emulsions, instead of the volume fraction of dispersed phase and droplet size. A rheological analysis, in which the cooperative flow theory, the soft glass rheology model, and the slip plane model were analyzed and compared, was performed to obtain one single model that could describe the non-Maxwellian behavior of both reverse phases and highly concentrated emulsions and to characterize their microstructure with the rheological properties.

Intrinsic parameters for the structure control of nonionic reverse micelles in styrene: SAXS and rheometry studies.

Shape, size, and internal structure of nonionic reverse micelle in styrene depending on surfactant chain length, concentration, temperature, and water addition have been investigated using a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The generalized indirect Fourier transformation (GIFT) method has been employed to deduce real-space structural information. The consistency of the GIFT method has been tested by the geometrical model fittings, and the micellar aggregation number (N(agg)) has been determined. It was found that diglycerol monocaprate (C(10)G(2)), diglycerol monolaurate (C(12)G(2)), and diglycerol monomyristate (C(14)G(2)), spontaneously self-assemble into reverse micelles in organic solvent styrene under ambient conditions. The micellar size and the N(agg) decrease with an increase in surfactant chain length, a scenario that could be understood from the modification of the critical packing parameter (cpp). A clear picture of one-dimensional (1-D) micellar growth was observed with an increase in surfactant weight fraction (W(s)) in the C(10)G(2) system, which eventually formed rodlike micelles at W(s) ≥ 15%. On the other hand, micelles shrunk favoring a rod-to-sphere type transition upon heating. Reverse micelles swelled with water, forming a water pool at the micellar core; the size of water-incorporated reverse micelles was much bigger than that of the empty micelles. Model fittings showed that water addition not only increase the micellar size but also increase the N(agg). Zero-shear viscosity was found to decrease with surfactant chain but increase with W(s), supporting the results derived from SAXS.

Charge-free reverse wormlike micelles in nonaqueous media.

We report a facile method for the formation of charge-free reverse wormlike micelles in a nonionic surfactant/oil system without addition of water under ambient conditions. This route involves the addition of sucrose dioleate (SDO) to semidilute solutions of sucrose trioleate (STO) in hexadecane. A reverse wormlike micelle was possible to achieve only with ionic surfactants in which water and/or salts are fundamentally required to induce micellar growth so far. In this contribution, we have shown that less lipophilic nonionic surfactant SDO promotes one-dimensional growth to STO reverse micelles and leads to the formation of transient networks of viscoelastic reverse wormlike micelles. The zero-shear viscosity increases by ∼4 orders of magnitude, and it is the mixing fraction of SDO to STO that determines the viscosity growth. The structure and dynamics of the reverse micelles are confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and rheometry measurements.

Lipophilic tail architecture and molecular structure of neutralizing agent for the controlled rheology of viscoelastic fluid in amino acid-based anionic surfactant system.

The amino acid-based anionic surfactant, N-dodecanoylglutamic acid (designated as LAD), when neutralized with 2-aminoethanol (MEA), 2,2'-iminodiethanol (DEA), or 2,2',2''-nitrilotriethanol (TEA) forms globular type of micelles in aqueous system at 25 °C, and the viscosity of each solution is very close to that of pure water. Addition of cationic surfactants, e.g., tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) or hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), induced a sphere-to-rod transition, and the micelles grew axially, resulting in formation of viscoelastic wormlike micelles that could be described by a Maxwell model. The viscosity was ca. 5 orders of magnitude as large as that of water. The viscosity maximum was observed in zero-shear viscosity (η0) curves, and there was a phase separation to liquid crystal phase at higher cosurfactants concentration. The η0 curve shifted toward lower cosurfactant concentration, and the value of maximum viscosity (η0(max)) decreased by reducing lipophilic moiety of cosurfactant. Furthermore, the value of η0(max) decreased with decreasing the number of ethanol content per molecule of neutralizing agent. The η0 decays exponentially with the rise of temperature, following the Arrhenius type of behavior. However, addition of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) increases viscosity only slightly; viscoelastic wormlike micelles are not formed.

Structure and rheology of reverse micelles in dipentaerythrityl tri-(12-hydroxystearate)/oil systems.

We report the formation of reverse rod-like micelles and their rheological properties in novel nonionic surfactant, dipentaerythrityl tri-(12-hydroxystearate) (designated as WO-6)/oil systems without external water addition. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to investigate the structure of the micelles and their flow properties were studied by rheological measurements. We found that WO-6 spontaneously self-assembles into reverse micelles in a variety of organic solvents at ambient conditions, their structure depending on solvent molecular architecture, surfactant concentration, and temperature. Rod-like micelles with a maximum length of ca. 12 nm and a cross section diameter of ca. 2 nm were observed in cyclohexane. When cyclohexane was replaced with a linear chain octane, the length and the cross section diameter were simultaneously increased. With a further increase of hydrocarbon chain length of solvent oils from octane to hexadecane, the rod-like micelles grew axially, keeping the cross section diameter (ca. 3 nm) virtually constant. Increasing surfactant concentration also favored one-dimensional micellar growth. On the other hand, micelles shrunk with the rise of temperature, which is similar to a rod-to-sphere transition, and is essentially the opposite temperature dependence to that often observed in aqueous micellar systems. A structural picture drawn by SAXS is well supported by rheology; the relative (zero-shear) viscosity of the WO-6/oil systems was found to be markedly greater than that expected for a dispersion of spherical particles due to the elongated micellar structure, despite quantitative inconsistency with semi-empirically predicted values for rigid rod-like particles.

Growth control of nonionic reverse micelles by surfactant and solvent molecular architecture and water addition.

This paper describes a facile route to the shape, size, and structure control of reversed micelles by surfactant and solvent molecular architecture and water addition. Nonionic reverse micellar size is found to increase with increase in hydrophilic headgroup size of surfactant, whose scheme is understood in terms of decrease in the critical packing parameter (cpp). On the other hand, an opposite trend is observed with increase in lipophilicity of the surfactant. This is caused by the repulsive excluded volume interactions, which increases with the volume of lipophilic moiety of surfactant; as a result, the micelle interface tends to become more curved and micelles shrink. Solvent molecular structure has played a crucial role; increasing hydrocarbon chain length of alkanes favored one dimensional micellar growth. We note that long chain oil has a poor penetration tendency to lipophilic tail of surfactant and decreases the cpp. Solvent polarity is also crucial; globular micelles are formed in short chain oil cyclohexane. We note that decreasing chain length of oil mimic the decrease in the headgroup size of surfactant; rod-to-sphere type transition in the micellar structure. Addition of trace water favors micellar growth; maximum dimension and micellar cross section increases with increase in water concentration. The sizes of the water incorporated reverse micelles (or w/o microemulsion) are much bigger than the empty micelles. Micellar structure was confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and supported by rheology.

Structure of diglycerol monomyristate reverse micelles in styrene: a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study.

Structure of diglycerol monomyristate (designated as C14G2) nonionic surfactant reverse micelles in aromatic solvent styrene has been investigated as a function of surfactant concentration, temperature, and water addition by using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. Structure of micelles in real-space so called pair-distance distribution function, p(r), was obtained by the generalized indirect fourier transformation (GIFT) evaluation of SAXS data. It was found that C14G2 spontaneously self-assembles into spheroid reverse micelles with maximum diameter approximately 3.0 nm when added into styrene under ambient condition. The micellar shape and size remained essentially the same despite a wide variation in surfactant concentration (5 to 30%) but an opposite trend was observed with the rise of temperature; size decreased by approximately 25% with increase in temperature from 25 to 75 degrees C. Addition of traces water favored micellar growth and eventually ellipsoid prolate type micelles were formed, whose scenario is understood in terms of decrease in the critical packing parameter (cpp); water hydrates the surfactant's headgroup and decreases cpp. At a particular concentration of water, increasing temperature decreased the micellar size due to dehydration of headgroup. It is interesting to note that size of 1.57% water incorporated micelle is approximately 2.5 times bigger than the empty micelles.