Influence of polyethylene glycol on percolation dynamics of reverse microemulsions

Abstract

We explore the influence of a hydrophilic polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), on the structure and the percolation dynamics of reverse microemulsions (ME) stabilized by an anionic surfactant AOT (sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate). The percolation transition of MEs is probed using dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Notably, an increase in percolation temperature is observed by the incorporation of PEG-polymer into larger ME droplets which is explained by considering the model of polymer adsorption at surfactant-water interface. The stability of the droplet phase of microemulsion after the incorporation of PEG is confirmed by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiment. Further, a net decrease in percolation transition temperature is observed with the addition of PEG polymer for smaller ME droplets and is discussed in relation with the destabilization of droplets owing to the polymer induced bridging and the associated clustering of droplets. We conjecture that the adsorption of PEG polymer chains at the surfactant-water interface as well as the PEG-induced bridging of droplets are due to the strong ion-dipole interaction between anionic head group of AOT surfactant and dipoles present in PEG polymer chains.