Cyclic voltammetric studies on the ternary system decaglycerol dioleate–heptane–water

Abstract

On the basis of the experimental results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) for samples containing a definite amount of decaglycerol dioleate (DGD)(0.1 mol dm–3), and varying relative amounts of heptane and water, the partition coefficients of the electrochemical probe (EC) between the surfactant and solvent media in non-polar and polar regions, namely Kn and Kp, have been estimated. It is seen that values of Kn are always less than those of Kp. It has also been found that the EC probe is solubilized at W0= 18 (W0=[H2O]/[DGD], mol/mol) in both non-polar and polar regions, whereas at W0 < 18 the probe is hardly solubilized in the above environments. It is also seen that at the same composition (W0= 18), the solubility of the probe in polar regions is ca. 7 times greater than that in non-polar regions. The partition coefficient of the probe between surfactants and water in the micellar phase, Km, is also estimated and the results suggest that the solubility of the probe in DGD micelles is ca. 3 times greater than in its reverse micelle at the same surfactant concentration (W0= 18).