Self-assembly in surfactant-based liquid mixtures: Octanoic acid/Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine systems

Abstract The physico-chemical properties of Bis(2-ethylhexyl)amine (BEEA) plus octanoic acid (OA) mixtures have been investigated by IR, SAXS, WAXS, viscosimetry, and AC complex impedance spectroscopy in the whole composition range. Mainly driven by proton transfer from the acidic OA to the basic BEEA, the formation of stoichiometrically well-defined adducts takes place in the mixtures. This causes the slowing down of molecular dynamics and the increase in charge carrier number density. Interestingly, while the pure components possess no significant conductivity (about 10−12 S cm−1 at 25 °C), their mixtures show a composition-dependent enhanced conductivity (up to about 10−5 S cm−1), i.e., …