6533b7d8fe1ef96bd126b690

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Microemulsions: Phase transitions and their dynamics

Reinhard StreyJürgen VollmerDoris Vollmer

subject

Isothermal microcalorimetryQuantum phase transitionPhase transitionMaterials sciencePulmonary surfactantPhase (matter)ThermodynamicsLamellar structureMicroemulsionCalorimetry

description

By differential scanning microcalorimetry we investigate temperature-induced phase transitions and their dynamics in mixtures of water, oil and a non-ionic surfactant. Special emphasis is on an investigation of the transition from a lamellar to a microemulsion phase and on the emulsification failure. The first-order phase transition from a lamellar to a microemulsion phase leads to heat changes up to 1k BT per surfactant molecule. These large values for the latent heat are quantitatively described by an interfacial model which takes into account the temperature dependence of the spontaneous curvature.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2007-10-02
https://doi.org/10.1007/bfb0110779