PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
Prshan hac lish Porth and Dhomesh Vrode, Sti
Adsorption Characteristics and Micelle
Formation of Two Cationic Surfactants
and their Mixtures in Aqueous Solution
[Adsorption characteristics and micellization of two cationic su
factants vi. tetradecytrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB!)
{and tetradecyhriphenyiphosphonium bromide (CyTPBY) were
‘examined from surface tension and electrical conductivity meas
urements, The ertical micelle concentrations (CMCS), the de
sree of counterion binding to micelles, (), the area/molecule
at the air-water interface and the thermodynamic parameters of
‘micelizaton (AG, AH". and As.) were evaluated at several
temperatures (25780°C). The mixtures of the two surfactants
were also examined over the entire mole raction range (0-1)
in water and aqueous NaCI solutions (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 M) by
surface tension measurements and the obtained results were
analyzed using Rubingh’s regular solution theory. These mixed
surfactant systems in water showed a near ideal behavior with
[values close to zero but shits towards nonideality in presence
fof NaCl. The results are discussed in terms of polar head group
(its size and hydrophobicity), effect of ionic strength and tem-
perature.
‘Adsorptionseigenschaften und Mizelbildung von rwei katio-
nischen Tensiden und ihren Mischungen in wisstigen Lisun-
gen. Die Adsorptionseigenschaften und die Mizellbidung der
Beiden ationischen Tenside Tetradecytsimethylammionivm-
bbromid (C;.TAB1) und Tetradecyltiphenylphosphoniumbromid
(CuatPB) wurden mit Hife von Grenalichenspannungs- und
Lettdhigkeitsmessungen untersucht. Die kritischen Mizell
dungskonzentrationen (CMCs), der Grad der Gegenionenbin
dung an die Mizellen (i), die Fiche/MolekUl an der Lut- Was
ser-Grenaflache und die thermodynamischen Parameter der
Mizellbildung (4, AH®, und AS,,) wurden far verschiedene
Temperaturen (250°C) bestimmt. Mischungen der beiden
Tenside wurden dber den gesamten Molenbruchbereich (0-1)
sowohl in Wasser als auch in wassrigen NaCl-Losungen (0,0
(0.05 und 0,1 M) mit Hife von Grenalichenspannungsmessun-
igen untersucht, Die Ergebnisse wurden mitels Rubingh’s requ
far solution theory analysiet. Dabei zeigen diese Mischsysteme
in Wasser nahezu ideales erhalten mit frWerten nahe Null In
"NaCl-Lasung verschob sich dieses Verhalten jedoch hin zur
[Nchtidealitt. Die Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick aut die polare
Kopigruppe (Graf und Hydrophobie), den Efflekt der lonen-
stirke und die Temperaturdiskuter.
1 Introduction
Sueface active agents are unique substances; their molecules
due to the presence of distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic
‘moieties behave peculiarly in solution. The two basic fea
tures viz. adsorption from solution and micelle formation
shown by surfactants are responsible for their functional
properties viz. wetting, emulsifying, solubilizing, dispersing,
foaming and rheology control ete. which are widely em
ployed in almost all chemical industries [1~2). Though not
examined so extensively as anionic and nonionic susfac
tants, cationic surfactants offer some additional advantages
‘over other classes of surfactants [36].
Cationic surfactants besides their surface activity show
antibacterial properties and are used as cationic softeners,
lubricants, retarding agents, antistatic agents and in some
cases consumer use. Cationic surfactants belonging to qua
ternary salts are well known compounds and have been
‘examined for their surface and solution behavior using 3
variety of methods viz, surface tension (7, 8}, conductance
[9-11], viscosity (12, 13), dye solubilization (14), sound velo-
«ity (10, 15, 16}, fluorescence (17), small angle neutron scat
tering [18~ 20) and light scattering [21
‘Mixtures of surfactants of various fypes in aqueous sol
tion [22-30] often show superior properties to that of asin
gle surfactant system. Treatments based on regular solution
theory [3134] use CMCs to caleulate the interaction. para
‘mete, fi, to obtain information on the magnitude of interac
tions between surfactants in a mixed micelle, A negative va
ue of indicates synergism in mixed micelle formation, a
positive value indicates antagonism and if =O then mixed
‘micelle formation is ideal. The larger the value of the
stronger is the mixing nonideslity and the corresponding sy
nergismn, Mixed micelles composed of mixtures of surfac
fants of similar structure are nearly ideal [35 36), However,
mixed micelles containing ionic and nonionic or anionic
and cationic surfactants show negative deviations from ide-
ality [22—24
Tn this paper, we present the results obtained on aggre
gation behavior of tetradecyltrimethylammoniuim bromide
(CuTABr) and tetradecyltriphenylphosphonium bromide
{CucTPB:) in water across a range of temperatures (25~
40°C) by clectrical conductivity measurements. The critical
imicelle concentrations (CMCs) and the degree of counter
ion dissociation of micelles (f) were obtained at each tern
perature. From the CMC values as a function of tempera-
ture, the corresponding thermodynamic parameters of mi-
cellization were algo evaluated. The CMCs were also
determined at 30°C from surface tension measurements
for single surfactants and at various mole fractions in mixed
systems of C,,TABr and C,,TPBr in water and aqueous salt
(NaCl) solutions
2 Experimental
21 Materials
The cationic surfactants tetradecylrimethylammonium bro-
mide (C),TABr) and tetradecyltriphenylphosphoniumn bro
ride (C).TPBe) were highly pure samples from Lanchaster,
England and were used as supplied, Their purities were
ascertained by surface tension measurements; surface ten
sion —log concentration plot did not show any minimum. Te
ple distiled water from an all Pyrex glass apparatus was used
for the preparation of solutions, NaCl used was AnalaR grade,Prashant Bahadur et al. Adsorption characteristics and micelle formation of two cationic surfactants
2.2 Methods
221 Surface terson
‘The surface tension of single and mixed surfactants in
water and aqueous salt solutions was determined. by
Using the drop mumber method. All measurements were
carried out at 30°C. The CMC values were determined at
sharp break points in surface tension against logarithm
fof concentration curves for individual and mixed surfac-
tants
222 Conductance
Conductometric measurements were made with a digital
conductivity meter (Phillips, India) using a dip-type cell in
the temperature range 25—40°C. All measurements were
done in a jacketed vessel, which was maintained at the 3p
propriate temperature (20:1 °C), The errors in the conduc-
tance measurements were within £0.5%, The conductance
Was measured after thorough mixing and temperature equ
Iibrium at each dilution.
33 Results and Discussion
‘The surface tension (7) for surfactants C\yTABE and
CyaTPBr were measured for a range of concentrations above
ie
etc
rg, sng nr toe eon ne 830
(ey curas (a caer
|
Fal
tt rt
Figure 2, ots pei cndcty vrs concenttion of CTAB n
Vite at iter empeate (@) 25°C (a) 50°C) 39°C (A) AO
a
eae [ae [ven | a |
Table 1 tera Popes of Coon Suaants in Water at SDC
and below the eritical micelle concentration (CMC): the
EMC was determined from the log C plots (Figure I).
‘These plots show a decrease in surface tension, which is fol
lowed by almost a constant value with a further increase in
concentration of surfactants after the CMC, The CMCs of
Surfactants determined in this way are recorded in Table
whieh is in close agreement with the CMC data reported in
Iiterature (37).
‘The area occupied by the surfactant molecules in A’, at
the airwater interface at saturation monolayer was st
rmated using the surface tension (y) data at temperature T
and the Gibbs adsorption isotherm
1 (ar
"apr (atte) °
where Tis surface excess, R is the universal gas constant, C
fs the concentration ofthe surfactant and n is taken as 2 be
Cause of the ionie nature ofthe surfactants. The values of
area/molecule obtained are recorded in Table 1.
(Cy TABr and Cy,TPBr have the same hydrophobic chain
length but differ only in polar head group size. Despite of
having very bulky polar head group, CysTPBr has quite low
value of CMC (0.6 mM) as compared t0 Cy,TABr (398 mM)
Which can be explained on the basis that the presence of
three phenyl groups in the polar head group region of
CutPBr which may impart additional hydrophobicity and
helps it to undergo micelle formation more favorably. For
cationie surfactants with the same head group area but dif
ferent chain length of counter ion, the area values remain
‘essentially the same. Since the area per molecule at the in-
terface is primarily influenced by head group size 2 larger
value of area pet molecule for CyeTPBr (622 A) than
{CysTABr (51.1 A) can be anticipated
‘Conductivity measurements were performed in order to
evaluate the CMC and the degree of counterion dissociation
(G0). This known that the specific conductivity is linearly cor
related tothe surfactant concentration in both the premicel-
Jar and in the postmicellar regions, in the manner that the
slope in the premicellar region is greater than that in the
postmicellar region. The intersection point between the two
Straight lines gives the CMC while the ratio between the
slopes of the postmicellar region to that in the premicellar
region gives the degree of counter ion dissociation, Conduc
tance data for solutions of Cy.TABr and C,