Langmuir, Vol.13, No.19, 5016-5021, 1997
Change in Micelle Form Induced by Cosurfactant Addition in Nematic Lyotropic Phases
The nematic cylindrical (N-c)-nematic discotic (N-d) phase transitions in three amphiphile/decanol/water systems, occurring as a function of the decanol/amphiphile molecular ratio (M-d), are correlated with a change of micellar form from spherocylinder (SC) to square tablet (ST), which occurs geometrically in a continuous way, with an intermediate biaxial object. The relative stability of these forms is measured by the micellar elastic bending energy, calculated in the surfactant parameter model, as a function of the molecular quantity p = v/al (where v, l, and a are respectively the volume and length of the hydrophobic chain and the area per polar head at the apolar-polar interface) and of the decanol/amphiphile mixing, A SC-ST transition is predicted for increasing M-d and p(0) values, because the amphiphile (spontaneous p(01)) and decanol (p(02)) molecules prefer zones with different curvatures. A good agreement is obtained by comparison of the predicted SC-ST transformation with experimental results obtained at the N-c-N-d transitions for KL (potassium laurate), SDS (sodium decyl sulfate), and SLS (sodium dodecyl sulfate).
Keywords:NUCLEAR-SPIN-RELAXATION;LIQUID-CRYSTALS;AMPHIPHILIC MOLECULES;CURVATURE ELASTICITY;BIAXIAL PARTICLES;ORDERED PHASES;BENDING ENERGY;TRANSITIONS;SIZE;STABILITY