Cooperative Effects in Surfactant Adsorption Layers at Water/Alkane Interfaces

Abstract

In the present work, the properties of dodecyl dimethyl phosphine oxide (C12DMPO) at the water/decane interface are studied and compared with those obtained earlier at the interface to hexane. To simulate the interfacial behavior, a two-component thermodynamic model is proposed, which combines the equation of state and Frumkin isotherm for decane with the reorientation model involving the intrinsic compressibility for the surfactant. In this approach, the surface activity of decane is governed by its interaction with C12DMPO. The theory predicts the influence of decane on the decrease of the surface tension at a very low surfactant concentration for realistic values of the ratio of the adsorbed amounts of decane and surfactant. The surfactant’s distribution coefficient between the aqueous and decane phases is determined. Two types of adsorption systems were used: a decane drop immersed into the C12DMPO aqueous solution, and a water drop immersed into the C12DMPO solution in decane. To determine the distribution coefficient, a method based on the analysis of the transfer of C12DMPO between water and decane is also employed.