DIELECTRIC-RELAXATION IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS OF ZWITTERIONIC SURFACTANT MICELLES

The behavior of zwitterionic groups and of the hydration water is investigated for various amphiphiles under different conditions. Commerically available zwitterionic surfactants have been studied which, at the concentrations used here, form micelles in water. The relaxation type dielectric permittivity spectrum epsilon ( nu ) is shown to yield information on the thermal reorientational motion and on the average arrangement of the moderately dipolar water molecules and of the strongly dipolar zwitterionic groups of the surfactant molecules.