Suraj Chandra Sharma

Viscoelastic wormlike micelles in mixed nonionic fluorocarbon surfactants and structural transition induced by oils.

Formation and rheological behavior of viscoelastic wormlike micelles in an aqueous solution of a mixed system of nonionic fluorocarbon surfactants, perfluoroalkyl sulfonamide ethoxylate, C8F17SO2N(C3H7)(CH2CH2O)nH (abbreviated as C8F17EOn, n=20 and 3), was studied. A partial ternary phase diagram of water/C8F17EO20/C8F17EO3 was constructed at 25 degrees C by visual inspection through crossed polarizers. In the water/surfactant binary system, C8F17EO20 forms an isotropic micellar solution over a wide concentration range (approximately 80 wt %). The micellar solution of the C8F17EO20 can solubilize a significant amount of C8F17EO3, and the solubility increases with increasing C8F17EO20 concentration. With successive addition of C8F17EO3 to the aqueous C8F17EO20 solution, viscosity increases rapidly, and a viscoelastic solution is formed. The viscosity of the viscous sample was approximately 5th order of magnitude of pure water. The viscoelastic solution follows the Maxwell model typical of wormlike micelles at low-frequency region. With further addition of C8F17EO3 the viscosity decreases, and phase separation occurs. Addition of perfluoropolyether oil, (C3F6O)nCOOH, to the viscoelastic solution decreases the viscosity monotonically until phase separation. On the other hand, when perfluorodecalin oil, C10F18, is added, viscosity first decreases and attains a limiting value before excess oil phase separates out. The viscosity decrease in water/surfactant/oil systems is possibly caused by the microstructural transition in the network structure. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements were performed to complement the rheological data. It has been found that the C8F17EO3 induces one-dimensional growth to the C8F17EO20 micelles. On the other hand, when (C3F6O)nCOOH is added, wormlike-sphere type transition is more likely to occur.

Viscoelastic wormlike micelles of long polyoxyethylene chain phytosterol with lipophilic nonionic surfactant in aqueous solution.

We have studied the formation, structure, and rheological behavior of viscoelastic wormlike micelles in the mixed system of long polyoxyethylene chain phytosterol (PhyEO30) and polyoxyethylene dodecyl ether (C12EOn, n = 3 and 4) surfactants in water. Partial ternary phase diagrams of water/PhyEO30/C12EOn are constructed at 25 degrees C. Addition of C12EOn to the aqueous solution of PhyEO30 in a dilute region increases the viscosity by several orders and forms viscoelastic micellar solution of entangled wormlike micelles showing the Maxwellian behavior at low shear frequencies. With successive addition of C12EOn, ultimately a phase separation occurs with the formation of turbid solution of vesicular dispersion coexisting with the micellar phase. A rapid micellar growth has been observed when C12EO3 replaces the C12EO4. However, no viscosity maximum is seen with the C12EO3 system; the viscosity increases continuously until phase separation. The effect of temperature on water/PhyEO30/C12EO3 system has also been studied. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements have shown the one-dimensional micellar growth induced by C12EOn and well support the conclusions derived from rheometry.

Stabilization of nonaqueous foam with lamellar liquid crystal particles in diglycerol monolaurate/olive oil system

Nonaqueous foams stabilized by lamellar liquid crystal (L alpha) dispersion in diglycerol monolaurate (designated as C12G2)/olive oil systems are presented. Foamability and foam stability depending on composition and the effects of added water on the nonaqueous foaming behavior were systematically studied. It was found that the foamability increases with increasing C12G2 concentration from 1 to 3 wt% and then decreases with further increasing concentration, but the foam stability increases continuously with concentration. Depending on compositions, foams are stable for a few minutes to several hours. Foams produced by 10 wt% C12G2/olive oil system are stable for more than 6 h. In the study of effects of added water on the foaming properties of 5 wt% C12G2/olive oil system, it was found that the foamability and foam stability of 5 wt% C12G2/olive oil decreases upon addition of 1 wt% water, but with further increasing water, both the foamability and foam stability increase. Foams with 10% water added system are stable for approximately 4 h. Phase behavior study of the C12G2 in olive oil has shown the dispersion of L alpha particles in the dilute regions at 25 degrees C. Thus, stable foams in the C12G2/olive oil system can be attributed to L alpha particle, which adsorb at the gas-liquid interface as confirmed by surface tension measurements and optical microscopy. Laser diffraction particle size analyzer has shown that the average particle diameter decreases with increasing the C12G2 concentration and, hence, the foams are more stable at higher surfactant concentration. Judging from foaming test, optical micrographs, and particle size, it can be concluded that stable nonaqueous foams in the studied systems are mainly caused by the dispersion of L alpha particles and depending on the particle size the foam stability largely differs.

The effect of ionic liquid hydrophobicity and solvent miscibility on pluronic amphiphile self-assembly

The phase behavior of the triblock copolymer, (EO)20(PO)70(EO)20 (P123), in the water-immiscible (hydrophobic) ionic liquids (ILs), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (bmimPF6), and tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate (bmimFAP), has been investigated, and its amphiphilic self-assembly examined using small-angle X-ray scattering. The results obtained are contrasted with those for P123 in water. Direct and water-swellable micellar, hexagonal, and lamellar phases of P123 are found in bmimPF6, which behaves like a polar solvent despite being water immiscible, but bmimFAP behaves as a truly hydrophobic solvent, forming only a lamellar phase over a narrow composition range. The miscibility of bmimPF6 and water is increased by P123 addition, and at sufficiently high P123 concentrations, a single lamellar phase forms in which bmimPF6 and water are miscible in all proportions. In contrast, the preferential solubilization of bmimPF6 by PEO chains and bmimFAP by PPO chains causes the nanosegregation of these miscible ILs in concentrated P123 solutions. This leads to the formation of a P123/bmimPF6/bmimFAP microemulsion where bmimPF6 is the polar solvent and bmimFAP is the non-polar solvent.

Polymerized assemblies of cationic gemini surfactants in aqueous solution.

A variety of polymerized assemblies of cationic gemini surfactants has been demonstrated as a function of the electrolyte concentration in aqueous solution. The gemini surfactant consists of two cationic monomeric surfactants linked with an ethylene spacer at the level of the quaternary ammonium groups. Polymerizable methacryloxy groups are covalently attached to the terminal of the hydrocarbon chains. In the lower electrolyte concentration region, radical polymerization results in the formation of spherical aggregates [Langmuir 22 (2006) 8293]. However, in the higher electrolyte concentration region, elongated tubular hollow assemblies are observed with transmission electron microscopy, as a result of polymerization of vesicular hollow assemblies spontaneously formed in the aqueous solution. These experimental results suggest that it is possible to prepare different shapes of polymerized assemblies by changing the electrolyte concentration.

Phase behavior, self-assembly, and emulsification of Tween 80/water mixtures with limonene and perfluoromethyldecalin.

The phase behavior, microstructure, and emulsification of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), water, and d-limonene (LM) or perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) has been studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and polarizing optical microscopy. In the Tween 80/water binary system, a micellar solution (L(1)), a hexagonal (H(1)) phase, and a water-swellable isotropic surfactant liquid (L(2)) phase are successively formed at 25 °C. LM can be solubilized into all of the phases formed by Tween 80/water mixtures, whereas no solubilization of PFMD occurs. The L(2) phase was found by small-angle neutron scattering to be bicontinuous with low interfacial curvature. Added water swells and amplifies the pre-existing amphiphilic structure. The stability of oil-in-H(1) complex emulsions is found to be sensitive to changes in structure that accompany solubilization.

Phase Behavior and Microstructures of Nonionic Fluorocarbon Surfactant in Aqueous Systems

The phase behavior and self-assembled structures of perfluoroalkyl sulfonamide ethoxylate, C8F17SO2N(C3H7)(CH2CH2O)20H (abbreviated as C8F 17EO20), a nonionic fluorocarbon surfactant in an aqueous system, has been investigated by the small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The C8F17EO20 forms micelles and different liquid crystal phases depending on the temperature and composition. The fluorocarbon micellar structure induced by temperature or composition change and added fluorocarbon cosurfactant has been systematically studied. The SAXS data were analyzed by the indirect Fourier transformation (IFT) and the generalized indirect Fourier transformation (GIFT) depending on the volume fraction of the surfactant and complemented by plausible model calculations. The C8F17EO20 forms spherical type micelles above critical micelle concentration (cmc) in the dilute region. The micelle tends to grow with temperature; however, the growth is not significant on changing temperature from 15-75 degrees C, which is attributed to the higher clouding temperature of the surfactant (>100 degrees C). On the other hand, the micellar structure (shape and size) is apparently unaffected by composition (1-25 wt %) at 25 degrees C. Nevertheless, addition of fluorocarbon cosurfactant of structure C8F17SO2N(C3H7)(CH2CH2O)H (abbreviated as C8F17EO1) to the semidilute solution of C8F17EO20 (25 wt %) favors micellar growth, which finally leads to the formation of viscoelastic wormlike micelles, as confirmed by rheometry and supported by SAXS. The onset sphere-to-wormlike transition in the structure of micelles in the C8F17EO20/water/C8F17EO1 system is due to the fact that the C8F17EO1 tends to go to the surfactant palisade layer so that the critical packing parameter increases due to a decrease in the effective cross-sectional area of the headgroup. As a result, spherical micelles grow into a cylinder, which after a certain concentration entangle to form a rigid network structure of wormlike micelles.

Formation and characterization of microemulsions containing polymeric silicone.

We have prepared microemulsions consisting of water/[40 wt % polyoxyethylene (20 mol) glycerin isostearate (abbreviated as POE-GIS) + 60 wt % random copolymer of polyoxyethylene (POE, 38 mol)/polyoxypropylene (POP, 10 mol) pentaerythritol tetramethyl ether {abbreviated as PEPTME (38/10)}]/[polyoxyethylene (POE, 19 mol)/polyoxypropylene (POP, 19 mol) polydimethylsiloxane copolymer (abbreviated as POE/POP-PDMS)] and water/[40 wt % POE-GIS + 60 wt % PEPTME (38/10)]/[95 wt % POE/POP-PDMS + 5 wt % oleic acid (abbreviated as OA)] systems and characterized them with optical observation, rheometry, and freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) images. Bicontinuous and droplet-type O/W (oil-in-water) microemulsions are formed depending on the volume fraction of water. The bicontinuous structure observed in the oil-rich region, upon successive dilution with water, is transformed into a droplet-type microemulsion without phase separation. The prepared droplet-type microemulsion containing polymeric silicone and random copolymer PEPTME (38/10) as a cosurfactant in the water-rich region has potential applications in cosmetics.

Formation of Lamellar Silica from Lyotropic Liquid Crystals of Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid

The formation of lamellar mesostructured silica by a neutral route in dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA)/aminoalkoxysilane/water systems was investigated by phase study and Small Angle X‐ray Scattering (SAXS). Initially, two lamellar lyotropic phases are found, one corresponding to the DBSA and other corresponding to the DBSA‐aminoalkoxysilane salt. With the hydrolysis and condensation of siloxane groups, the DBSA‐aminoalkoxysilane lyotropic phase disappears and lamellar silica is formed. The lyotropic phase does not act as a true template but as a source of amphiphilic molecules, hence synthesis takes place via a phase separation mechanism. This synthesis route provides an easy way to prepare amino functionalized lamellar silica.

Interfacial Properties of Aqueous Nonionic Fluorocarbon Surfactant Solutions

The equilibrium, dynamic surface tensions, and surface dilatational elasticity of aqueous solutions of nonionic fluorocarbon surfactant are reported. The critical micellar concentration, CMC (0.023 mM) and equilibrium surface tension (24.6 m N . m−1) at CMC were measured by Wilhelmy plate method for aqueous solution of C8F17SO2N(C3H7)(C2H4O)nH (n=20), abbreviated as EF122A. The surface tension decay is slower for C8F17SO2N(C3H7)(C2H4O)nH (n=10) system, abbreviated as EF122B compared to the EF122A system over short time region, which indicates the slow transport of the surfactant molecules to the surface. The relaxation time for surface tension decay is estimated by fitting a series of exponentials to the dynamic surface tension data and it decreases with temperature for EF122A. Slow exchange of monomers between bulk and interface is reflected in the high elasticity value of the air‐liquid interface for EF122B compared with EF122A within measured frequency window (0.125–1.25 Hz).