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Updated: May 26, 2026

Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device
Published on: March 18, 2020
3D structure of lamellar domains in a surfactant solution below the Krafft temperature
Youhei Kawabata1, Hirohito Yashima, Tadashi Kato
1Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan. youheik@tmu.ac.jp
Abstract:
We have studied the 3D structure of lamellar domains in aqueous solutions of nonionic surfactant C(16)E(6) and C(16)E(7) below the Krafft temperature by means of confocal microscopy. A new morphology of lamellar domains has been found in the C(16)E(6) system, which is the network of lamellar domains. In the C(16)E(7) system, we have confirmed that the spherical vesicles have a hollow including excess water. Furthermore, we have investigated the initial formation process of lamellar domains in those two systems. It has been found that initial lamellar domains of both systems are tiny and plate-like and that the domains are gradually curved in the C(16)E(7) system, while in the C(16)E(6) system, they spread to fuse together and form networks.
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