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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
Published on: April 21, 2017
Determination of cationic surfactants in water samples by their enhanced resonance light scattering with azoviolet
Chuan Xiao Yang1, Yuan Fang Li, Cheng Zhi Huang
1Institute of Environmental Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Normal University, Chongqing 400715, PR China.
Abstract:
A simple assay of cationic surfactants in water samples was developed based on the measurements of enhanced resonance light scattering (RLS). At pH 6.09 and ionic strength 0.03 M, the interactions of azoviolet (AV) with cationic surfactants, including zephiramine (Zeph) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTMAB), result in enhanced RLS signals characterized by the peaks of 470.0, 485.0 and 495.0 nm. The enhanced RLS intensity is proportional to the concentration of cationic surfactant of Zeph in the range of 0.2~6.0x10(-6) M, and to that of CTMAB in the range of 0.4~4.8x10(-6 )M. The limit of determination (3 sigma) is 2.1x10(-8) M and 3.8x10(-8) M for the two surfactants, respectively. Determinations of cationic surfactants in synthetic and tap water samples were successfully made with a recovery of 90.5~108.6%.
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