Dynamics of AOT and AOT/Nonionic Cosurfactant Microemulsions. An Iodine-Laser Temperature Jump Study

Abstract

The iodine-laser temperature jump (ILTJ) technique was used to probe the interfacial and intermicellar dynamics of water-in-isooctane microemulsions stabilized by AOT both in the presence and in the absence of a cosurfactant such as an aliphatic chained alcohol (hexanol or decanol) or poly(oxyethylene) alkyl ether (C10E4 or C10E8). These cosurfactants have been shown to induce changes in the interfacial rigidity; the former increase it, and the latter decrease it. Two relaxation times were observed, one in the microsecond range and another, previously undetected, in the millisecond range. The relaxation times obtained in the microsecond range were higher for CiEj-containing microemulsions and lower for decanol-containing ones. This is consistent with the effect of the cosurfactants on interfacial rigidity, as this relaxation is inversely proportional to the bending modulus, κ. The value of κ = 0.3 kT determined for AOT reversed micelles (Wo = 55) is in agreement with those found in the literature. The rel...