Interaction between Cetyl Pyridinium Chloride and Water-Soluble Polymers in Aqueous Solutions
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
García-Mateos1, Pérez, Velázquez
1Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Salamanca, Apdo. 449, Salamanca, E-37080, Spain
Abstract:
The interaction between cetyl pyridinium chloride and different-molecular-weight poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers has been investigated by means of electrical conductivity and fluorescence probing. No interaction between the low-molecular-weight PVP polymers and the surfactant was detected, whereas a significant interaction was observed between high-molecular-weight PVP polymers or PEG polymers and cetyl pyridinium chloride. The results indicate that polymer-surfactant aggregates start to form at a surfactant concentration higher than the critical micelle concentration of micelles without polymers. In contrast, the degree of ionization and the interface polarity decrease as compared with values of micelles without polymers. The Gibbs free energy associated with the interaction was also calculated. The values show that the addition of polymers stabilizes polymer-surfactant aggregates. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press
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A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
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