Complex Behavior of Series of Cationic Carbamate Surfactants with SDBS, SDS, SAS Anionic Surfactants

Abstract

Abstract The spontaneous formation of vesicles in aqueous catanionic mixtures, composed of six double-chain cationic surfactants 2,3-bis (alkyl carbamoyloxy)-N, N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxy alkyl) propyl chloride (CnPAC, n = 12, 14) and the three conventional anionic surfactants sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SAS), was investigated. The aggregation behavior of a catanionic system is proved by visual observation, electrical conductivity, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta (ζ) potential, and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). By variation of the mixing ratios of cationic and anionic surfactants, we find that the formed vesicles are stable, and the complex system with hydrophobic C14 tail shows larger turbidity than that of hydrophobic C12 tail. The positive and negative electrostatic interactions are regarded as the main driving forces for vesicles formation.