Molecular aggregates in stable aqueous three-phase surfactant systems and their use in producing CdS nanowires

Aqueous three-phase surfactant systems (A3PS) are important, multicomponent, stable three-phase equilibria with coexisting forms in a common colloid solution, but have been largely ignored regarding further characterization and application. Mixing simple, commercially available, single-tailed anionic/nonionic or anionic/cationic surfactants in water can spontaneously produce stable A3PS with coexisting multiscale self-assembled structures including discs, lamellas, micelles and vesicles. As with conventional aqueous two-phase systems (A2PS), A3PS can be applied in partition and extraction processes. Here, the A3PS was also used as a mild media for one-step synthesis of multiscale CdS nanowires. Particularly, the A3PS does not change and simultaneously separates the CdS nanowires with the comparable size in one phase, which provides a facile strategy for collection of monodisperse nanomaterials. We expect that this present work can expand recognition of A3PS for use in theoretical and applied studies.