Hydrodynamic effects in bicontinuous microemulsions measured by inelastic neutron scattering

The dynamical properties of bicontinuous microemulsions have been studied with neutron spin echo spectroscopy around length scales corresponding to the correlation peak q(0). Comparison of samples with different contrasts for neutrons shed light on the two modes dominated either by variation of the oil/water difference or surfactant concentration in the hydrodynamic regime. The results have been compared to theoretical predictions of the relaxation rates of bicontinuous microemulsions by Nonomura and Ohta [M. Nonomura, T. Ohta, J. Chem. Phys. 110, 7516 (1999)]. The influence of modification of the surfactant layer bending constants in the microemulsion by addition of homopolymers (polyethylenepropylene: PEP(X) and polyethyleneoxide: PEO(X), X=5 kg/mol), dissolved in the oil phase and water, has been investigated.