https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2006-10192-y
Regular Article
Nanostructures of colloidal complexes formed in oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant dilute aqueous solutions
1
Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 510, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France
2
Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA-CNRS, CEA Saclay, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
* e-mail: langevin@lps.u-psud.fr
Received:
3
August
2006
Accepted:
12
June
2007
Published online:
9
August
2007
Small-angle neutron scattering measurements were performed on dilute solutions of carboxymethylcellulose/DTAB complexes in water in order to determine their size, shape and internal structures. At low polymer content, the complexes are spherical, rather monodisperse and probably made of polymer chains intercalated between surfactant micelles. Moreover, we show that these micelles have a similar cubic arrangement than found in polymer/surfactant precipitates formed at higher surfactant concentrations. At larger polymer content, in the semi-dilute polyelectrolyte regime, the complexes are larger, softer and polydisperse. However, they possess a similar internal structure in both regimes. Carboxymethylcellulose/CTAB complexes are also large, soft and polydisperse but do not seem to exhibit well-defined internal structures.
PACS: 61.12.Ex Neutron scattering (including small-angle scattering) – / 81.07.-b Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization – / 82.35.Rs Polyelectrolytes – / 82.70.Uv Surfactants, micellar solutions, vesicles, lamellae, amphiphilic systems, (hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions) –
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag, 2007
