Solution properties of gemini surfactant of decanediyl-1-10-bis (dimethyltetradecylammonium bromide) in aqueous...

The solution properties of a typical gemini surfactant of decanediyl-1-10-bis (dimethyltetradecylammonium bromide) (abbrev. 14-10-14,2Br(-)) were examined in an aqueous medium at temperatures of 288.2, 298.2, and 308.2 K. The characterization was performed by employing surface tension measurements, electrical conductivity measurements, steady-state fluorescence quenching (SSFQ), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The surface tension was measured with the drop volume method, in which an improved tensiometer was used and the experimental operation was modified. The resultant data were well reproducible and the equilibrium adsorption time after producing the droplet onto the tip of the capillary was on the order of minutes. In addition, the critical micelle concentration obtained from the surface tension data is in good agreement with that obtained from the conductivity data. Using the conductivity variation as a function of surfactant concentration, the thermodynamic parameters of micellization were calculated. Furthermore, the SSFQ method suggests a small and constant aggregation number, irrespective of temperature. The formation of small-size micelles was also confirmed by DLS measurements.