Effects of Counterions and Co-Ions on the Surfactant Binding Process in the Charged Polymer Network

Abstract

Kinetic studies of cationic surfactant uptake in an anionic polymer network have been performed, varying the species of co-ions of the surfactant and counterions of the charged network. It was found that the rate of surfactant uptake is distinctly dependent on both the counterions and co-ions which could be explained in terms of the ion pair diffusion mechanism associated with their mobilities in the network. A simple linear relation between the surfactant flux and the harmonic mean of the molar mobilities of the surfactant ion, its co-ion, and the network counterion has been established experimentally.