The surface properties of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide observed by capillary electrophoresis

The electroosmotic flow (EOF) is measured as a function of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) concentration and is shown to have distinct zones that are pH dependent. The data is correlated with previously proposed surface structures ranging from unimolecular adsorption to hemimicelles and micelles of TTAB adsorbed on the hydrated fused silica. A plot of the TTAB concentration at zero EOF versus pH shows that the zero point of charge (zpc) is pH dependent and that a linear extrapolation of the data intercepts close to the pH value for the zpc of a fused-silica surface. This shows that different surface properties at different pH values at any given TTAB concentration are generally dealt with. Therefore, these pH-dependent structures of the fused-silica surface have to be taken into account while studying these phenomena.