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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
Published on: April 21, 2017
Simultaneous potentiometric determination of cationic and ethoxylated nonionic surfactants in liquid cleaners and
Mirela Samardžić1, Milan Sak-Bosnar, Dubravka Madunić-Čačić
1Department of Chemistry, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, F. Kuhača 20, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia.
Abstract:
A sensitive potentiometric surfactant sensor based on a highly lipophilic 1,3-didecyl-2-methyl-imidazolium cation and a tetraphenylborate (TPB) antagonist ion was used as the end-point detector in ion-pair potentiometric surfactant titrations using sodium TPB as a titrant. Several analytical and technical grade cationic and ethoxylated nonionic surfactants (EONS) and mixtures of both were potentiometrically titrated. The sensor showed satisfactory analytical performances within a pH range of 3-10 and exhibited satisfactory selectivity for all CS and EONS investigated. Ionic strength did not influence the titration except at 0.1M NaCl, in which a slight distortion of the second inflexion corresponded with the nonionic surfactant. Two-component combinations of four CS and three EONS were potentiometrically titrated using the sensor previously mentioned as the end-point detector. The quantities of the surfactants varied between 2 and 6 μmol for CS and 2.50 and 7.50 μmol for EONS. The known addition methodology was used for determination of the surfactant with considerably lower concentration in the mixture. Three commercial products containing cationic surfactants as disinfectants and nonionic surfactants were potentiometrically titrated, and the results for both type of surfactants were compared with those obtained with standard conventional methods.
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