6533b7d8fe1ef96bd1269a6d

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The apparently anomalous effects of surfactants on interfacial tension in the IBA/water system near its upper critical solution temperature

Maria Liria Turco LiveriJohn A. PojmanRenato LombardoIlaria CalabreseGiulia Gelardi

subject

Polymers and Plastics02 engineering and technology01 natural sciencesSpinning drop tensiometry010305 fluids & plasmasIsobutyric acidSurface tensionchemistry.chemical_compoundColloid and Surface ChemistryPulmonary surfactantUpper critical solution temperature0103 physical sciencesPolymer chemistryMaterials ChemistryMoleculePhysical and Theoretical ChemistrySodium dodecyl sulfateSettore CHIM/02 - Chimica FisicaChemistryDrop (liquid)Cationic polymerizationUpper critical solution temperature (UCST)021001 nanoscience & nanotechnologyChemical engineering0210 nano-technologyInterfacial tension

description

We studied the effect of anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants on the interfacial tension between the two phases of the isobutyric acid/water system using spinning drop tensiometry. It has been found that interfacial tension decreases with increasing concentration of the surfactant in the case of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and of dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC). However, in the case of Triton X-100 an increase of surfactant concentration leads to an increase of the interfacial tension. Such results are consistent with the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in the presence of these surfactants: the UCST decreases with increasing SDS and DTAC concentrations while it increases in the case of Triton X-100. This apparently anomalous effect has been explained by considering the molecular structure of Triton X-100, which possesses a short polymeric chain that promotes its partitioning toward one of the two phases making them less compatible and thus raises the UCST and the interfacial tension.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2016-06-17Colloid and Polymer Science
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-016-3904-9