Study on Reversible Solubilization by Adjusting Surfactant Properties

Solubilization allows us to dissolve hydrophobic materials in water and to carry them to where they are needed. The purpose of this study is to control solubilization, especially the release of solubilized materials, via external stimulation. An amphoteric surfactant, dodecyldimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide inner salt (SB-12), was employed, and a pH change was chosen as the external stimulus. We measured the surface tension of an SB-12 solution via the Wilhelmy method, and the absorbance of a solubilized solution was determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy at various pH values. The surface tension was almost the same at any pH, contrary to our expectations. This result suggests that the adsorption behavior and micelle formation of SB-12 were not affected by pH very much. On the other hand, the solubilization behavior remarkably depended on the pH. In particular, the solubilization ability under the basic condition was much larger than that under the acidic and neutral conditions. Taking advantage of such a difference in solubilization ability under some pH conditions, the solubilized material could be completely removed from the solution. Thus, we clarified the mechanism of release for solubilized materials due to a pH change.