Pressure-Induced Transition of Bilayers in a Nonionic Surfactant Solution.

Abstract

Pressure effects on the bilayers of polyoxyethylene type nonionic surfactant in water have been investigated by means of small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering. It has been found that the Krafft transition from the micellar phase to the lamellar gel phase (Lβ) is induced by pressure. By further pressurizing, the lamellar structural parameters, such as the repeat distance d and Caillé parameter η, discontinuously decrease after taking a maximum. All the SAXS and WAXS results revealed that the Lβ phase is transformed into the higher-ordered lamellar crystal phase (Lc). On the basis of these observations, we have made the T-C and T-P phase diagrams.