6533b838fe1ef96bd12a3b18

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Study of AOT-stabilized microemulsions of urea dispersed in carbon tetrachloride

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Measurements of some physico-chemical properties (density, viscosity, permittivity) of the urea/sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/CCl4 system as a function of the volume fraction of the dispersed phase (0<Φ<0.7) at various urea to AOT molar ratio (Rurea) have been carried out at 25 °C. The experimental data analysis are consistent with the hypothesis that urea is entrapped as small-size molecular clusters within the hydrophilic core of the AOT reversed micelles and that this structure is preserved well above a threshold Φ value where a percolative transition occurs. Besides, X-ray diffraction spectra of samples at Φ=1, obtained by complete evaporation under vacuum of the apolar solvent of urea/AOT/CCl4 solutions, indicates that, even in the typical two-dimensional hexagonal structure of AOT liquid crystals, urea is encapsulated as uni-dimensional molecular clusters.