No abstract

Modifying physicochemical properties of aqueous surfactant solutions in favorable fashion by addition of environmentally benign room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) has enormous future potential. Due to its unusual properties, an IL may demonstrate a unique role in altering the properties of aqueous surfactant solutions. Changes in the properties of aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, upon addition of a common and popular "hydrophilic" ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [bmim][BF4] are presented. Addition of low concentrations of [bmim][BF4] (i.e.,

Modification of important physicochemical properties of aqueous surfactant solutions can be achieved by addition of environmentally benign room temperature ionic liquids (ILs). While low aqueous solubility of "hydrophobic" ILs limits the amount of IL that may be added to achieve desired changes in the physicochemical properties, hydrophilic ILs do not have such restrictions associated to them. Alterations in the key physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions of a common nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX100) on addition of up to 30 wt % hydrophilic IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF4]) are reported. The presence of micellar aggregates in as high as 30 wt % [bmim][BF4]-added aqueous TX100 solutions is established by dynamic light scattering and fluorescence probe behavior. Increasing the concentration of [bmim][BF4] results in decrease in average micellar size and aggregation number and increase in critical micelle concentration, indicating an overall unfavorable aggregation process. Increase in the dipolarity and the microfluidity of the probe cybotactic region within the palisade layer of the micellar phase upon [bmim][BF4] addition implies increased water penetration and the possibility of TX100-[bmim][BF4] interactions. While the changes in some of the physicochemical properties indicate the role of [bmim][BF4] to be similar to a cosurfactant, the IL acts like a cosolvent as far as changes in other properties are concerned. Effectiveness of IL [bmim][BF4] in modifying physicochemical properties of aqueous TX100 is demonstrated.

No abstract

Modifying properties of aqueous surfactant solutions by addition of external additives is an important area of research. Unusual properties of ionic liquids (ILs) make them ideal candidates for this purpose. Changes in important physicochemical properties of aqueous zwitterionic N-dodecyl- N, N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (SB-12) surfactant solution upon addition of hydrophilic IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [bmim][BF 4], are reported. Dynamic light scattering results indicate a dramatic reduction in the average micellar size in the presence of [bmim][BF 4]; micellar (or micelle-like) aggregation in the presence of as high as 30 wt % [bmim][BF 4] is confirmed. Responses from fluorescence probes are used to obtain critical micelle concentration (cmc), aggregation number ( N agg), and dipolarity and microfluidity of the micellar pseudophase of aqueous SB-12 in the presence of [bmim][BF 4]. In general, increasing the amount of [bmim][BF 4] to 30 wt % results in decrease in N agg and increase in cmc. Increase in the dipolarity and the microfluidity of the probe cybotactic region within the micellar pseudophase is observed on increasing [bmim][BF 4] concentration in the solution. It is attributed to increased water penetration into the micellar pseudophase as [bmim][BF 4] is added to aqueous SB-12. It is proposed that IL [bmim][BF 4] behaves similar to an electrolyte and/or a cosurfactant when present at low concentrations and as a polar cosolvent when present at high concentrations. Electrostatic attraction between cation of IL and anion of zwitterion, and anion of IL and cation of zwitterion at low concentrations of [bmim][BF 4] is evoked to explain the observed changes. Presence of IL as cosolvent appears to reduce the efficiency of micellization process by reducing the hydrophobic effect.