Micellar Characteristics and Surface Properties of Some Sulfobetaine Surfactants

Abstract

Abstract The micellar and interfacial properties of three sulfobetaine surfactants of the type CnH2n+1N+Me2(CH2)3SO3 − (n = 10; SB3-10 n = 12; SB3-12, n = 16; SB3-16) have been studied by conductometry and surface tension measurements. The critical micellar concentration (CMC), surface excess concentration (Γmax), minimum surface area per molecule of surfactant (Amin), Gibbs free energy of micellization (ΔGo m), Gibbs energy of transfer (ΔGo trans), the surface pressure at CMC (πCMC) and the Gibbs energy of adsorption (ΔGo ads) of these surfactants have also been determined. Effect of formamide has been studied at higher temperature conductometrically. Results show that alkyl chain length and the amount of solvent composition influences micellization and surface properties of sulfobetaines. Increment in the CMC, ΔGo m and ΔGo trans, can be accounted for changes in the polarity of the bulk phase. Γmax, and πcmc decreases where as Amin increases with increase in the organic solvent. It was also observed that micellization in water-formamide mixture was even slower than in the case of ethylene glycol.