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Wormlike micelles in mixed amino acid-based anionic/nonionic surfactant systems.
Rekha Goswami Shrestha1, Lok Kumar Shrestha, Kenji Aramaki
1Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Tokiwadai 79-7, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|April 9, 2008
Summary
This study demonstrates the formation of viscoelastic wormlike micelles using amino acid-based surfactants without salt. These micelles exhibit unique rheological properties, offering insights into surfactant self-assembly and fluid behavior.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Science
- Materials Science
- Rheology
Background:
- Amino acid-based surfactants offer a sustainable alternative in surfactant chemistry.
- Controlling micellar structure is key to tailoring fluid properties.
- Salt-free systems simplify formulation and reduce environmental impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation and properties of wormlike micelles in mixed amino acid-based surfactant systems.
- To explore the influence of nonionic co-surfactants on micellar growth and viscoelasticity.
- To understand the rheological behavior and phase transitions of these novel surfactant solutions.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of mixed surfactant solutions using N-Dodecylglutamic acid and l-lysine.
- Addition of varying concentrations of tri(oxyethylene) alkyl ethers (C12EO3, C14EO3, C16EO3).
- Rheological measurements including viscosity, zero shear viscosity (eta(0)), and viscoelastic characterization using the Maxwell model and Cole-Cole plots.
- Temperature-dependent rheology to determine activation energy and Newtonian behavior.
Main Results:
- N-Dodecylglutamic acid and l-lysine form Newtonian fluid solutions at 25°C.
- Addition of C12EO3 and C14EO3 induces one-dimensional micellar growth, leading to viscoelastic wormlike micelles.
- C16EO3 elongates micelles but does not form a rigid, entangled network.
- Zero shear viscosity (eta(0)) shows complex concentration dependence for C12EO3 and monotonic increase for C14EO3.
- Temperature studies reveal Arrhenius behavior for eta(0) decay, indicating typical wormlike micelle characteristics.
- Flow activation energy aligns with values reported for conventional wormlike micelles.
Conclusions:
- Viscoelastic wormlike micelles can be formed in salt-free, amino acid-based surfactant systems.
- The choice of nonionic co-surfactant significantly impacts micellar morphology and rheological properties.
- These systems exhibit tunable viscoelasticity and temperature-dependent behavior, relevant for advanced material applications.
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