Lecithin organogels with alkylglucosides

Oscillation rheology was used to study the viscoelastic properties of lecithin organogels with included alpha- and beta-anomers of alkylglucosides as well as their derivatives containing an alkyl chain of various length. The alkylglucosides caused an equal decrease of zero shear viscosity. Pronounced difference was established in their effects on the plateau modulus. Derivatives with a shorter alkyl chain brought about an increase in the plateau modulus, whereas derivatives with a longer chain decreased it, FTIR spectroscopic measurements showed that there is a distinction in the alkylglucoside effect on hydrogen bonds formed by the lecithin phosphate group. It was suggested that the changes observed in the molecular interactions within micelles are responsible for the variation of the rheological parameters through the relaxation time for the micellar breaking/recombination. (C) 1998 Academic Press.