Structural characterizations of diglycerol monomyristate reverse micelles in aromatic solvent ethylbenzene

Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) we have investigated the shape and size of diglycerol monomyristate (designated as C14G2) nonionic surfactant reverse micelles in aromatic solvent ethylbenzene as a function of surfactant concentration, temperature, and water. When C14G2 is added into ethylbenzene globular type reverse micelles with maximum core diameter ca. 4.5 nm are formed under ambient conditions. The micellar structure (shape and size) did not change with the surfactant concentration. However, an increase in temperature decreased the micellar size due to an increase in the critical packing parameter (cpp). Surfactant becomes more lipophilic upon heating and the micellar curvature tends to become more negative at higher temperature. Addition of a small amount of water caused a significant micellar growth. For instance, incorporation of 0.3% water in the 5% C14G2/ethylbenzene system resulted in the formation of 2.1 time bigger micelles with a small water pool in the micellar core. Besides the micellar shape is modified into an ellipsoidal prolate, whose scenario can be understood in terms of hydration of the surfactant's headgroup. Hydration decreases the cpp and favors micellar growth. An increase of temperature of a water incorporated system decreased the micellar size due to dehydration, which is equivalent to rod-to-sphere type transition.