The transport properties near the percolation temperature
threshold in the ternary water-in-oil microemulsion
stabilized by ionic surfactant has been studied by measuring the
self-diffusion coefficients of all the constituents
of the microemulsion, and the conductivity for temperatures between 10
and 40 °C. It can be conjectured
that two different transition mechanisms of the charge carriers in this
temperature region may take place.
These may be attributed to either the transfer of counterions from
one droplet to another through water channels
or hopping of surfactant ions from droplets within clusters. The
results support the hypothesis that the
conductivity and dielectric polarization below the percolation
threshold is mainly due to the motion of
counterions via water channels within the droplet clusters and not a
charge-hopping mechanism at the surfactant
interface. Above the percolation threshold the latter mechanism
also appears, connected with migration of
surfactant molecules from droplet to droplet within a percolation
cluster. The first mechanism, however, still
dominantes.
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