Abstract
Knowledge of interfacial structures in liquid–liquid systems is imperative, especially for improving two-phase biological and chemical reactions. Therefore, we developed a new sample cell for neutron reflectometry (NR), which enables us to observe the layer structure around the interface, and investigated the adsorption behavior of a typical surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), on the toluene-d8-D2O interface under the new experimental conditions. The new cell was characterized by placing the PTFE frame at the bottom to produce a smooth interface and downsized compared to the conventional cell. The obtained NR profiles were readily analyzable and we determined a slight difference in the SDS adsorption layer structure at the interface between the toluene-d8-D2O and air-D2O systems. This could be owing to the difference in the adsorption behavior of the SDS molecules depending on the interfacial conditions.
Highlights
IntroductionLiquid–liquid extraction, in which a hydrophobic organic solvent and an aqueous solution are used, is one of the most important methods for the separation and purification of target materials such as chemicals and metal ions
The findings revealed that the extractant-enriched interface could repel or attract hard trivalent cations depending on the ligand’s nature
We introduce a new type of cell for liquid–liquid two-phase systems for neutron reflectometry (NR) measurements
Summary
Liquid–liquid extraction, in which a hydrophobic organic solvent and an aqueous solution are used, is one of the most important methods for the separation and purification of target materials such as chemicals and metal ions. To control this extraction reaction, understanding of chemical reactions of the dissolved organic and/or inorganic molecules in each phase and at the interface is required. The former reactions, including complex formations, etc., have been extensively studied. Since it is difficult to observe the interfacial structure in detail by conventional structural analyses, interfacial phenomena have not been well clarified yet
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