Phase Equilibria and Equation of State of a Mixed Cationic Surfactant−Glycolipid Lamellar System

Abstract

We establish experimentally the equation of state relating pressure and composition of a ternary model glycolipid/synthetic cationic surfactant/water system at room temperature. It is shown that an adhesion energy induced by the sugar headgroups is necessary to explain the presence of two distinct critical points that close two biphasic lamellar−lamellar zones. Between these two critical points, a turbid single-phase region is evidenced.