Extremely strong interaction of sodium decyl sulfate and decyltrimethylammonium bromide in molecular aggregates

The thermodynamic behavior of a mixture of sodium decyl sulfate (SDeS) and decyltrimethylammonium bromide (DeTAB) in aqueous solution and in molecular aggregates such as surface adsorbed films and micelles was investigated by measuring the electric conductivity and surface tension of the aqueous solutions. The thermodynamic quantities in solution and those in the molecular aggregates were evaluated from the experimental conductivity and surface tension data. The results for molar conductivity showed that dimerization or ion-pair formation of the SDeS and DeTAB molecules does not occur in aqueous solution and the mixture behaves as uni-univalent strong electrolyte below the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Contrary to the results in the aqueous solution, we found significant nonideal behavior in the phase diagrams of surface adsorption; that is, equimolar mixture of SDeS and DeTAB exists in the adsorbed film at almost all compositions irrespective of the bulk composition in the solution. The same result was also observed in the phase diagram of micelle formation. There was no difference in phase diagrams between surface adsorption and micelle formation at the CMC. The great nonideal mixing of SDeS and DeTAB in the molecular aggregates is undoubtedly attributable to the extreme attractive interaction between oppositely charged polar head groups of surfactants as well as to cohesion between hydrophobic groups. Further, in a low concentration region, it turned out that equimolar composition is preserved in the film during phase transition of the mixed adsorbed film of SDeS and DeTAB from a gaseous state to an expanded state. (C) 1997 Academic Press.