Structural evolution in cationic micelles upon incorporation of a polar organic dopant

Micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), when doped with increasing levels of 4-ethylphenol, show microstructural transitions from spherical micelles to elongated wormlike micelles, disks, and subsequently to globular and then to tubular vesicles. Wormlike micelles are observed at a dopant-to-CTAB molar ratio of 1:3. At higher dopant ratios (1:1), globular vesicles are observed which transition to tubular vesicles when the dopant becomes the predominant species at a ratio of 3:1. These transitions are reflected in small-angle neutron scattering analysis and, interestingly, can be directly observed through cryo-transmission electron microscopy. The para-substituted phenol is interfacially active and modulates interfacial curvature of the micelles. The observations of microstructure modifications have relevance to the synthesis of mesoporous materials using CTAB as the template.