2023 Impact factor 1.8
Soft Matter and Biological Physics
Eur. Phys. J. E 10, 135-142 (2003)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/e2003-00017-x

Small-angle neutron scattering studies of aqueous solutions of short-chain amphiphiles

G. D'Arrigo1, R. Giordano2 and J. Teixeira3

1  INFM, Dipartimento di Energetica dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Via A. Scarpa, 16 - 00161 Rome, Italy
2  Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università di Messina, 98166 Vill. S. Agata, Messina, Italy
3  Laboratoire L. Brillouin (CEA/CNRS), CE Saclay, France

giovanni.darrigo@uniroma1.it

(Received 12 June 2002 Published online: 16 April 2003)

Abstract
We present small angle neutron scattering measurements on binary aqueous solutions of some short-chain amphiphiles (diols, triols, glycols and diglycols) at room temperature. The spectra were analysed in terms of the Teubner-Strey phenomenological formula which allows to obtain a measure for the amphiphilicity strength of each system (amphiphilicity factor $f_{\rm a}$). In some systems, however, other models, valid for micellar solutions, give also a good representation of the spectra. As a result, we find that, independently of the type of hydrophilic group side (oxydrilic or oxirane), these systems cover the entire accessible amphiphilicity scale ( $-1<f_{\rm a}<1$). Some disordered systems ( $f_{\rm a}>1$) presumably are able to form micelle-like aggregates.

PACS
82.70.Uv - Surfactants, micellar solutions, vesicles, lamellae, amphiphilic systems, (hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions).
61.12.Ex - Neutron scattering (including small-angle scattering) .

© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2003