A nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of the micellar properties of a series of sodium cyclohexylalkanoates

Abstract

The micellar properties of a family of surfactants, the sodium cyclohexylalkanoates, have been investigated in aqueous solution using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. C-13 chemical shift measurements have been used to determine both the cmc values and the micellar aggregation numbers (Ns values) of these surfactants. The cmc values and the degrees of counterion binding were estimated from 23Na chemical shift measurements. The critical micelle concentrations (cmc's) and the aggregation numbers determined from the NMR experiments indicate that these amphiphiles have high cmc's and low aggregation numbers when compared to other single-headed surfactants (most notably the sodium alkanoates). The conformational changes incurred by the carbon atoms upon micelle formation have been deduced from the 13C chemical shift differences (δsurf,mic - δsurf,aq). These results are used to discuss the formation of the aggregates of the sodium cyclohexylalkanoate surfactants as a function of the length of the alkanoate side chain.Key words: micelles, surfactants, NMR spectroscopy, chemical shifts, aggregation numbers, degree of counterion binding, conformational changes.